Hiding In Plain Sight
by darstar
Summary: "If Ziva knew there had been a threat, then she had to know that the threat had been neutralized. Didn't she? And if she knew that, why would she remain in hiding rather than come find her precious daughter? It didn't make any sense, none of it." This is my third take on the finale but the first to go beyond it. SPOILERS for 13x24 Family First. TIVA
1. Chapter 1

_**Ok, I'm going to give this a shot. There are so many Ziva is alive stories already posted that are all variations on the same plot. So far, I haven't seen any with the twist I am about to introduce but I may not have read them all either. Rest assured that I am not trying to steal anyone's idea or step on any toes if this idea has been presented, but it's the only acceptable solution I can believe in, but sadly I am sure the show will never attempt. I don't think this will be overly long, and the chapters will be shorter than what I usually write, but we'll see. By the way, I am going with the date of "Dead Letter" since that was the episode we learned of the attack.**_

Disclaimer: I don't own them

Hiding in Plain Sight: Chapter One

 **Israel- May 10, 2016**

It was the smell that first began to seep through the unconscious mind. The smell…and the intense heat. The figure struggled to stand upright, staggering as the dizziness threatened to overcome the forward momentum. Finally, the world stopped spinning and then stood still: the inferno filled the night sky, casting unworldly shadows reaching out as the fingers of ghosts and demons.

The figure stepped back, angry at this unexpected set back. The mission had been compromised, all that they had worked for was now perhaps for naught. In frustration, the figure reached down and grabbed a medium sized stone. It was smooth and had striations that were atypical for the area and if it was any other time, it might have been admired for its stark beauty. But it was not any other time.

"Arggh!" The stone was hurled at the burning farm house, far missing the mark that was more than a stone's throw away. The sudden appearance of headlights from an approaching vehicle silenced the lone figure, anger turned to wariness and distrust. Before the driver could exit from the car, they turned and stumble into the grove of olive trees that surrounded the property, hiding from dangerous eyes and ears, disappearing into the night.

 **Washington DC- June 1, 2016**

Tony's declaration to his former Boss that he and Tali would be heading to Israel for answers had not happened as quickly as he had anticipated. There was a lot of paper work that had to be completed for Tali to officially be in his care. Apparently just being dropped off by the Director of Mossad wasn't enough proof of the rights of the parent to keep said child in their home. Tony wanted to shoot whoever from his building had alerted child services, but since he no longer had a gun that was not an option, which in retrospect was a good thing. Only by the intervention of NCIS and the Department of Homeland Security did DC Child Protective Services finally step away. Tony shook his head in disbelief at the whole mess. The only positive thing that came out of the unexpected debacle was that it allowed Tony and Tali to truly bond. Tony was fiercely protective of his daughter and Tali understood on an emotional level that this man was her Abba and would love and take care of her. And Tony realized that they really needed this extra time to get to know one another before taking off to explore the world together.

While they waited for the DC government's stamp of approval, Tony and Tali were visited by Abby, Tim and Palmer on a fairly frequent basis, at Tony's invitation. Tony didn't feel the need to include Bishop since she didn't have a connection to Ziva as the others did. As for Gibbs, he seemed reluctant to get to know the child, for reasons that Tony tried to understand. Maybe she reminded him too much of Ziva, but she did that for the others as well, didn't she? Abby took great delight in showing Tony how to fix up the baby curls of his daughter, since not ever brushing it was not a viable option for the new father. There was just so much he had no clue how to do. Thank God Palmer had showed up that first morning to help with breakfast and getting her dressed. Ziva had packed about six outfits for the almost two-year old and he was pleasantly surprised by her selection of colors and prints. No dark, muted colors for her baby, no sir. Pastels and flowers were predominant themes, with the occasional stripe that Tony liked to think was a throwback to his propensity for wearing striped shirts in the early years of their partnership.

Tony really appreciated Abby's help with Tali's grooming, but he had to put a stop to more than one pigtail. He didn't want his daughter to be a little Abby, he wanted her to be a little Ziva. And any doubt Tony may have had that Ziva had only shown Tali his picture and then repeated Abba ad nauseum until she got the idea, _and nothing else about him_ ; was firmly shown the door the first night Tim came to visit after he had resigned. Not wanting to deal with cooking and watching a toddler, Tony made the executive decision to order a pizza. When the piping hot pie was delivered and placed on the table, Tali had clapped in delight and yelled out "PIZZA! Abba love pizza!" Tony and Tim looked at each other, startled at the outburst. It was the first time Tali had spoken a string of words that made sense instead of her usual one word responses. But that wasn't what Tony heard.

What he heard was that Ziva had told Tali about his love for pizza; what he heard was that Ziva had not just pointed at an old photo and gave him a title. Ziva had told Tali about her father, about _him_. Even if Tali may not ever meet him, she would _know_ him. That was a slight consolation for the ache in his heart over being left out of his daughter's life. Her delightful giggle and Tim's deeper chuckle brought him out of his musings.

"She certainly knows her Daddy." Tim quipped. Tony looked at Tali, who was hopping up and down with her fingers in her mouth, clearly excited about dinner and looking absolutely adorable. He took a deep breath, and reached down to pick up his daughter, cuddling her tightly.

"That's right, Tali. Abba loves pizza and I bet you do too, hmm? What until I introduce you to James Bond!" He tickled her belly just to hear that giggle again. To his surprise, she looked at him with a very solemn look on her face and twisted around so that she was facing him directly.

"Bon. Jas Bon." Tali replied in a very serious voice. Tony's eyes bugged out in shock, and then his face broke into a wide grin.

Now, almost three weeks later, it was a family that finally boarded the flight that would take them to Israel, to find the answers that Tony so desperately needed. He had a lot of time to think over the past few weeks and his conviction that Ziva was actually alive and in hiding was starting to fade in the light of all evidence to the contrary. If Ziva knew there had been a threat, then she had to know that the threat had been neutralized. Didn't she? And if she knew that, why would she remain in hiding rather than come find her precious daughter? It didn't make any sense, none of it.

Tony settled himself and Tali into their seats, hoping that the answers he was seeking would be there waiting for him; waiting for _them_. It was the two of them now. Him and Tali. Father and Daughter. And together, Tony had no doubt that they would be an unbeatable team.

 **Paris, France: May 14, 2016**

The figure crouched in the shadows of the old church, eyes dark and cold as they stared intently at the designated drop. The square was extremely busy at the moment, making unusual actions such as sticking a note into a small crack in an otherwise pristine wall somewhat suspect. Since 9/11 security had been heightened at all major cities across the world and Paris had not shirked its duties to the citizens.

Finally, the throngs of tourists lessened to a manageable hoard and it was time to act. Standing up quickly, a wave of dizziness caught the figure off guard, causing disorientation. An arm shot out toward the wall, to steady and support the small frame. Shaking it off, the figure nonchalantly stepped into the square, looking around with interest as any tourist. Finally reaching the desired designation, the small slip of paper was inserted so quickly no hand movement was detected. Taking a few moments as if enjoying the view, the figure finally walked in the opposite direction, not looking back from whence they came.

 **NCIS: June 2, 2016**

Director Vance looked at the video feed in MTAC, just as perplexed by the message as his counterparts were. "This was found in an old drop that hasn't actively been used in years but is still monitored." The Homeland Security official began. "It was found by the CIA, no name of' course. After they looked through their files for any reference to this code, it was finally decided to reach out to see if any of our agencies had ever used it in operations abroad."

Vance looked again at the message, scrutinizing each detail. There was a nagging familiarity about it but he could not recall NCIS ever using such a method of communication between Agents. The note had some drawings on it, for lack of a better word. The first drawing looked to be a candy cane, but there was only one stripe and it extended outside the lines. The second drawing was the sun, with an upside down triangle in the middle. The only text was just as confusing: _RB loves that smile._

"Is this an old note that has just been found? If so, I can't think why this is important." Vance folded his arms in front of him and frowned when his counterpart shook his head no.

"The drop is checked weekly. If was found on May 16th. There was nothing there the week prior. This is a new note. Someone is either just using the place of the drop for their own convenience without knowing it's history or…"

"Or someone with a history of using that drop, years ago, has started using it again." Vance finished the thought. "I'll have one of my Agents search our files to see if anything like this is there. I'll keep you in the loop." Vance nodded and the feed went dark.

 _ **Well, there's the start. Does it sound interesting to anyone? Let me know your thoughts and I appreciate all feedback. Thanks again to the readers of my other stories for your amazing response and support. I will try to do much better with my postings.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for the great response. I really struggled with the idea of starting another story, but I just didn't like some things that happened in the finale. (You know what they are).**

 _ **The note had some drawings on it, for lack of a better word. The first drawing looked to be a candy cane, but there was only one stripe and it extended outside the lines. The second drawing was the sun, with an upside down triangle in the middle. The only text was just as confusing: RB loves that smile.**_

" _ **Is this an old note that has just been found? If so, I can't think why this is important." Vance folded his arms in front of him and frowned when his counterpart shook his head no.**_

" _ **The drop is checked weekly. If was found on May 16**_ _ **th**_ _ **. There was nothing there the week prior. This is a new note. Someone is either just using the place of the drop for their own convenience without knowing it's history or…"**_

" _ **Or someone with a history of using that drop, years ago, has started using it again." Vance finished the thought. "I'll have one of my Agents search our files to see if anything like this is there. I'll keep you in the loop." Vance nodded and the feed went dark.**_

Hiding in Plain Sight- Chapter Two

 **Tel Aviv, Israel**

The long flight to Tel Aviv was not without drama as the change in air pressure was extremely painful for the toddler. Tony now understood that Orli's comment of Tali crying for hours may have been as much for the discomfort of flying as being separated from her mother. Fortunately, he had discussed his trip with Palmer, who had flown with baby Victoria when his family traveled to Florida for this past Christmas. Tony didn't like to take drugs and he was hesitant to give his brand new child something that could make her feel worse. But the woeful cries and pulling at her ears made the decision for him. He snuggled her close and somehow got the Children's Tylenol dose into her mouth and not all over the front of either of their shirts.

Tali clung to Tony as a life raft, her hiccupping sobs finally subsiding into slumber. Tony rubbed her back softly, comforting himself as much as her. He had felt woefully inadequate in taking care of his fretting daughter, and the reality of his inexperience as a father was disheartening. Once again, he railed at being left out of Tali's short life. He just didn't understand how Ziva could think she was doing him a favor by keeping the baby from him. He knew he made a lot of noise about hating kids or being afraid of them, but she had to know that he was really talking about other people's children, right? That he would be just fine with his own…he had asked her to come back to Washington to be with him for God's sake. Surely she knew that meant having a life together that could someday include children…

 _Didn't she?_

Tony forced himself to think critically and view his last time with Ziva without bias. They had said a lot of things to each other, including admitting love. Tony had not brought up anything beyond getting back to DC, the only topic was the here and now. And the Ziva of the here and now was in pain, wanting to love but believing she was not worthy and it would be a punishment to others for her to be near them. Even when Tony demonstrated his love, and she had responded in kind; in the end it had not been enough to remove the doubt and self-loathing Ziva had adopted.

Tony dropped his head back against the seat, exhaustion finally winning out. He knew he may never know why any of this was happening; but he was going to do everything in his power to find out as much as he could, to put the pieces of the Ziva puzzle together.

 **Paris, France- May 22, 2016**

Sleep was fretful, disjointed. The continuous throbbing head pain was at times disabling, but intensive training allowed it to be disregarded and in fact it was _only_ that training that prevented full-blown panic from setting in, but at times it seemed to be wanting. What couldn't be understood was the current state of less than peak performance. It was obvious that they had been injured in the explosion, but they had certainly functioned; and functioned _well_ ; in a condition far worse than was now being experienced. There were other things as well, things that just didn't seem to make sense, but by forcing oneself to focus on the mission and ignore all extraneous and external stimuli that didn't correlate with their perceived reality, doubt and confusion were temporarily removed.

The lack of response to the communication had caused great concern. Had they been taken, or worse, killed? Was the note intercepted and they were now being watched? That last thought caused abandonment of daily surveillance of the designated meeting place, for fear of being found. Nothing could jeopardize this important mission, and if they had to do the job alone it would be done. The danger was always present, the risks were always known and accepted.

Sighing deeply, it was finally accepted that their body was not going to allow them to be constantly on the run. Inside the body belt that had been worn was a passport, credit cards and cash, although why they would be carrying information about their true identity and not the faked ID's carefully crafted for the job had been confusing and confounding. The "real" passport had been utilized for travel to Paris, and then cash was solely relied upon for food, supplies and a blessed place to sleep. But the one missing item that was the most disturbing could not be easily explained- there was no weapon; no hidden knife or shiv, no parts to assemble into a non-traceable gun…it made no sense! There was _never_ a time when at least a knife would be kept on their person and yet here they were, sans blade.

Fatigue won over and the battered body fell again into a feverish, troubled sleep that was marred by dreams that were vividly detailed but were always gone upon awakening.

 **Tel Aviv, Israel**

Tony was more than mildly surprised that he had not been met at the airport by at least _one_ Mossad agent, as he had the last time he flew to Tel Aviv. He was under no illusion that they didn't know exactly where he was traveling and what his final destination would be and probably already knew the exact questions he had in mind to ask.

 _Mossad knows everything_.

Tali was excited to be back in her homeland, a reaction that was not lost on Tony. He worried a bit that she would hate living in the United States, as Tony had no intention of moving permanently to Israel. He shrugged it off and put it on his "I'll think about it later" list, knowing it was the least of his problems at the moment.

He had never traveled in Israel as a private U.S. citizen before, had never truly been left to his own devices. Even when he spent four months searching for Ziva, he had contacts; he had intel that was available to him; and he had been in regular communication with Gibbs and McGee at NCIS. This time however, the rules of the game were completely different and Tony wondered briefly is this had been a very bad idea. He doubted he could count on any assistance from Mossad, though the only thing he truly wanted from them was _answers_.

The accommodations he selected for himself and Tali was modern, a place called the Ben Yehuda Apartments. It was convenient, it was air conditioned and it had a small kitchenette. Tony did not relish the idea of eating out for every meal with a two-year old, so the kitchen was a must have on his list. He had no idea how long they would be staying in Tel Aviv, or Israel for that matter, but they might as well be as normal as they could, considering they weren't at home. Tony had to laugh at his words, shaking his head at the irony. As if any of this was _normal._

Checking in was easier than he anticipated as the front desk employees spoke English very well. Getting Tali settled into the room took a bit more work, as she wanted to explore every nook and cranny of this new place. Tony wondered at her happy nature and lack of distrust with strangers. He could only surmise that pregnancy and motherhood had mellowed the Ziva he had known, and for that he was conflicted. He loved _his_ Ziva, and while he wanted her to be at peace and find the inner and outer serenity she had sought, he felt that he should have allowed to share in that happiness. Would he have even recognized this new version of her? Were all traces of Ziva, ex-Mossad and ex-NCIS erased?

Tony hoped not, and in his heart he believed that she had not truly changed, only her perspective and outlook on life had taken a turn for the better. Feeling more relaxed and accepting of his thoughts, he finally got Tali settled and soon she was napping in the crib that had been provided. He watched her sleeping, her long baby lashes sweeping across her rosy cheeks. He marveled at each feature, memorizing this amazing little person he and Ziva had made. Picking up Kelev from the bed, he placed it gently next to her so as not to wake her up.

A soft knock on the door caught him by surprise, and he felt for his gun out of habit. Slapping at his waist, he realized he was no longer armed, and sighed in slight annoyance. "Better get used to it, DiNozzo." He admonished himself. Walking to the door, he looked through the peep hole, his posture tensing when he saw who his uninvited visitor was.

"Orli. I should have known Mossad would find us here. What took you so long." Tony's tone of voice wasn't exactly welcoming, but in truth Orli was the exact person he wanted to see. He never trusted her, even when she had helped him with information to find Ziva three years ago. Despite her reassurances that she and Ziva had become close, he found her to be too cagey and vague when she came to DC with his daughter.

Orli acknowledged the back handed welcomed and her eyes swept the room as she entered. They alit on the sleeping baby, a tired smile forming that softened her usually stoic features. Tony watched her carefully as she tiptoed over to the crib and looked at the sleeping child. He could see her genuine concern and care for Tali and he wondered if her words of friendship with Ziva had not in fact been truly spoken. Orli straightened up and turned to Tony, a sad smile of her face.

"She looks happy, Tony. You have done well." Tony snorted at that, believing he hadn't done anything well, starting with leaving Ziva in Israel in the first place and not keeping more regular contact with her.

Orli moved away from the crib and motioned for Tony to follow her out onto the balcony, the one feature of the apartment that Tony had not been too excited about with an inquisitive and rambunctious toddler on hand.

Tony watched her through guarded eyes as she looked out over the city, the mid-afternoon sun starting its descent. He had about a million questions he wanted to hurl at her, but he held his tongue and waited…

Sensing his growing impatience and anxiety, Orli finally turned to Tony, her expression unchanged. "I knew you would come. In fact, I would have been disappointed had you not."

Tony nodded, believing the comment to be true. "I need answers, Orli. I need…" Tony stopped, as his voice caught. Orli sighed and sat down in one of the comfortable chairs. Recognizing that perhaps a long conversation might ensue, Tony joined her by sitting in the adjacent chair, turning it so that he was facing her instead of beside her.

"It doesn't add up, Orli. None of this makes any sense! Ziva had to know of the danger, she would have left the house. And how could Ziva, a trained agent not to mention just being an adult; how could she have been killed in an inferno that a two-year old was able to escape from unscathed?" Tony kept his tone even, not wanting to give in to the anger he was feeling. Orli feigned surprise at the question.

"Tony, I explained that. Tali was in a room in a corridor…"

"Don't give me that bullshit!" Tony cut her off. Her look of shock was almost comical and if it was any other time, Tony would have laughed. But this was no laughing matter. "I've been to that house; did you forget that? I know every part of that place and there was no room in another corridor. Are you telling me that Ziva had an addition built? Even if that's the case, that farm house was destroyed. Tali could not have been pulled from the wreckage!"

Orli's shoulders sagged, and she fell back against the chair. Taking a deep breath, she looked at Tony, her eyes flicking to his own; Tali really did have her father's eyes…

"Orli?" Tony voice broke through her reverie. She could see the tension on his face, but she also saw hope in his eyes, which broke her heart. Taking a deep breath, she began her story…

 **This chapter was a bit longer than I thought it would be, so I hope you like it. Still no answers yet, but next chapter will bring some things to light. Thanks again for reading and reviewing.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks again for the great response. Lots of questions need to be answered, don't they? I am not one of those authors who single out the reviews and responds to each in the author notes. If you asked a specific question, you will need to keep reading to get your answer. I am twisted that way…**

 **I was away for two weeks at two different events: one was the annual Congress of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution of which I am a proud member. I also work there as a staff genealogist. We made history by collecting the most letters for American service men and women in a single month that is now a Guinness World Record. Our goal was 10,000 letters. We collected 100, 904! The second was our Western Maryland Swing for the Order of the Eastern Star. Lots of fun and playing cards, and dressing up in long gowns. In neither instance did I have the time or means to be on my laptop writing fanfic, so I hope you will understand. And now, on with the show…**

 _ **Orli's shoulders sagged, and she fell back against the chair. Taking a deep breath, she looked at Tony, her eyes flicking to his own; Tali really did have her father's eyes…**_

" _ **Orli?" Tony voice broke through her reverie. She could see the tension on his face, but she also saw hope in his eyes, which broke her heart. Taking a deep breath, she began her story…**_

Disclaimer: So disclaimed

Hiding In Plain Sight- Chapter Three

 **Tel Aviv, Israel**

Tony sighed in frustration as he watched the Director of Mossad brew a kettle of tea in his tiny kitchenette. She absolutely refused to continue without her "lifeblood" as she referred to it. Tony suspected that she wanted to remove herself from the situation as long as she could, but he was tired of waiting for answers. Even if the answers were not what he really wanted to hear…

Tony's mind reeled at that revelation and he wondered if he truly believed that. A part of him understood that with each passing day, hour, _minute_ …without contact from Ziva; each lost moment was a further indictment of the harsh and unimaginable reality of her death; each sweep of the second hand figuratively acting as a hammer pounding in the nails of her ethereal coffin. He shivered slightly, an incongruous action in the heat of the early June evening.

He looked over at his slumbering daughter, exhausted from her overseas flight and still confused over the recent events that had brought them together. She occasionally cried pitifully for her Ima, most often when overtired and cranky; but each cry was a knife to Tony's heart. He wanted so badly to give her what she sought, what _he_ sought. He wasn't sure if he and Orli could have such a conversation as he was anticipating if Tali was awake and needing attention, but he was willing to risk it if it meant getting the answers he craved and needed to go on.

Tony had listened as Palmer told him how resilient children were and how easily they could bounce back from events that would have most adults turning to jelly. Tony was at first relieved to hear this, but the more he considered it the more it frightened him. It frightened him to think that Tali would forget her mother, and that he would not be able to keep her memory alive for the little girl in a way that she needed. Ziva would always be in his mind and heart, but he wasn't confident that he could share that love and translate it to a two-year old baby.

"Tony?" Orli's quiet question brought him out of his tortured musings, and his breath hitched. This was _it_.

 **NCIS- Navy Yard**

"Well?" Sometimes Vance could be just as maddening as Gibbs with his terse, one word questions that could be interpreted in a multitude of ways. McGee hunched over the copy laying on the desk, studying again each detail, each nuance of the confounding script. Tim would be the first to admit that he was probably not the go-to guy for secret codes and passwords, and yet Vance had sought him out. Well, it was actually Gibbs who had brought him in after he himself had been unable to figure out what the obscure message meant, but Vance had concurred.

"You've been in a lot of computers, McGee. You've seen a lot; a lot more than you think you have. You could have seen this before, but without context it would have no meaning." Gibbs had basically told him that it was a given that McGee would figure it out. Tim didn't agree with the sentiment and he felt an enormous amount of pressure on him at the moment. Additional pressure to the already surmounting shock of what it truly meant to be a _Very Special Agent_.

McGee silently berated himself for ever underestimating Tony's skills and contributions to the team. Tim had certainly filled his shoes on occasion, in fact a certain summer that ultimately accounted for his present job title came to mind. But in that instance it had only been him and Gibbs. And Gibbs didn't need to be watched, taught, coddled or reined in…one second thought, Gibbs _constantly_ needed to be reined in and Tim was grateful that it wasn't his job to do that. Or was it?

McGee shook his head at his wandering thoughts and got back to the task at hand. He looked again at the weird sketch. Does the candy cane mean Christmas? Does this have to do with some sort of religious faction, or anti-religious faction for that matter. And that sun with the triangle in the middle…didn't the Egyptians worship a sun God at one time? Ra or something like that. God! Tim stopped his line of thought before he delved into a complete "Stargate" rationale for the message in front of him.

It was the handwritten sentence that had confused him the most, for several reasons. Like Vance, he also felt a strange sense of familiarity with it but he couldn't put his finger on it. Was it the handwriting itself? Or could the words be from some song or play that he had read at some point in his life. He remembered back when he took Abby to that club so he could read his poem he had written, punctuating his heart-felt words with finger snaps at appropriate intervals. Although Abby hadn't taken his invitation at the time to move forward with a relationship with him she _did_ like the finger snaps… _what in the hell was he thinking?_

FOCUS! McGee held up the page, as if reading it at a higher elevation might bring him a eureka moment. Clearing his throat, he put the paper back down onto the desk and threw an apologetic look at his superiors.

"I have no idea what this is, Director. Sorry."

"Took you long enough." He grunted. "Absolutely nothing rings a bell with you? I know you don't have the long-term undercover experience either Gibbs or I have, but…" Vance trailed off as he looked at the guilt on McGee's face, and sighed.

"I didn't really expect you to recognize it, Agent McGee. I was hoping for an easy answer with this one. Start searching the databases; yes, _all_ of them. I have been guaranteed access from all of our sister agencies. You won't be the only one on this, but we're hoping between all of us working together maybe someone will be able to crack this code."

McGee wanted to ask what the urgency was, but refrained from questioning his superiors. He realized Tony would have had no qualms giving voice to get answers and he wondered if that was just Tony or the job of the Senior Field Agent. The more Tim, thought about it, the more he missed Anthony DiNozzo, Jr.

 **Tel Aviv, Israel**

Tony reluctantly followed Orli back out onto the balcony, dropping uneasily into the lounge chair so thoughtfully provided. He needed answers, there was no doubt of that. But the longer Orli took to tell him the truth, the more his stomach churned. He was beginning to taste a bit of bile in the back of his throat when the woman finally began to speak.

"You were right, Tony. What you said in Director Vance's office." At his quizzical look, she elaborated a bit more as she shifted in her chair. "Mossad knows everything?" She prompted.

"Although in this case, it was in reality myself that was more informed. When the calls for Ziva started coming in, to warn her of Kort's intention to come after her, I did not ignore the warnings and sit back and let Ziva fend for herself. I knew exactly where she was, and I could not take the risk that Kort knew as well. In fact, I strongly suspected that he did, which is why I went to her."

"You went to her…before the attack?" Tony's shocked expression mirrored the tone of his voice. If that was the case, then why in the hell was Ziva dead? His expression changed to confusion, with a mixture or anger. "How could you leave her there? How could you let her die?" Tony spat. He winced at Orli's look of sorrow and guilt, and waved his hand to allow her to continue her incredible narrative.

"Yes, Tony. I went to the farmhouse. Ziva was furious that she was once again a target, but her main concern; her _only_ concern was for Tali and her safety. Ziva and I packed the bags for Tali and herself. The plan was for me to take them, _both of them_ , to the airport, to leave Israel perhaps for good. As much as Ziva loved her homeland, she finally accepted that it was no longer a place for her to live or even be in. The past would always be there, to taunt her, to reach out and grab her at a moment's notice with no warning. If she was alone, she would have taken the burden upon herself…"

"But it wasn't just herself anymore. She had a daughter to think about now." Tony recalled Gibb's parting words to himself when he finally made that last visit to the sawdust-filled basement, to tell his boss that he was giving up the badge. The irony of the situation gave Tony pause, and again he cursed himself for ever thinking that Ziva never knew him at all.

"Indeed. She had no intention of taking on this fight herself. She was leaving with her daughter, and I was there to help her." Orli hung her head, her failure to make this happen weighing heavily on her mind and heart.

"Tali wasn't pulled from the wreckage, was she. Another lie." Tony's words were as much a statement as a question. He had always doubted that she could have escaped the inferno with no injuries whatsoever, but he had been shut down by every quarter. Even Gibbs had been terse with his acceptance of the events.

" _Yeah, she's dead!"_

Once Orli had shown up with Tali, the shock of Tony being a father had overshadowed the incredulity of her escape and no questions had been raised. But why lie about it in the first place? Tony lifted his haunted eyes to Orli's and demanded an answer.

Orli sighed. "I suppose you will not believe this, but I was trying to protect you, Tony. I thought it would be easier for you to accept and embrace Tali if you thought she had been through that horrible ordeal, rather than she had been removed from the farmhouse prior to the attack and Ziva had not."

"And now we get to the really crazy part of this story: why wasn't Ziva…removed…as you say? I'm assuming you took off with Tali; why did you leave Ziva? Why?" Tony fought for control, of his voice and his emotions. He didn't want a shouting match with the Director of Mossad on his hotel balcony, for God's sake. The world was moving on around him, and the streets were by no means empty. Maybe they should consider taking this private conversation inside?

Orli flinched at Tony's accusation. "It was never my intention to leave Ziva, and it was not a part of the plan in the manner you are suggesting. I had Tali in my car, with her belongings. Ziva had packed her car with her own things, as she _did_ want her and Tali to be separated until they were far from the farmhouse, just to be safe. She insisted that I leave first, as she had a few more things she wanted to retrieve from the home. I got about a half mile down the road when the explosion occurred."

Tony felt the back of his eyes burn as he fought to control his emotions. There was no way in hell he was going to start crying in front of this woman. As grateful as he was that she removed his daughter from certain death, he was livid that she had not saved his love, his Ziva.

"So, you see the "Towering Inferno" and just continue on your way? You couldn't even be bothered to see if Ziva was ok, or if…"

"Of' course I went back, Tony!" This time, Orli's words were spoken in anger and she bit back the expletive she wanted to hurl in his face. "I had a baby with me in the car. Tali, your daughter. I could not bear to expose her to such carnage, but I also could not leave Ziva. It was an intense internal battle that seemed to last a lifetime, but in reality lasted only seconds." She paused to take a sip of her tea, shakily placing the cup on the side table. Tony watched her actions through guarded eyes. As much as he didn't like what he was hearing, it rang of the truth and for the first time he felt sorry for her. She had been there when it happened, she had seen it…

"So you went back." Tony's soft voice prompted her to continue. Orli raised her eyes to his, the pain evident, the sorrow mirroring his own.

"Yes, I went back. Fortunately, Tali was asleep in her carrier so I was able to get fairly close…maybe thirty yards from the house?" Orli had raised her eyes heavenward as she considered the distance calculation in her mind. "The farmhouse was already engulfed in flames, Tony. Ziva's car was still there, but there was no sign of her. I got as close to the home as I could, calling out her name, screaming out her name..." Orli shuddered and closed her eyes. Tony watched her carefully for a few moments, and then, hesitantly, placed his hand on her arm.

"She's really dead, isn't she?" He couldn't mask the break in his voice, and he didn't care to. All this time he had been hoping for a miracle, had been thinking that somehow this was all some plan to protect Ziva and she would suddenly appear from the shadows. "She didn't just escape and went into hiding?"

Orli looked shocked at the suggestion. "Escape and go into hiding? Tony, Ziva would never leave Tali and go off on her own. She would make sure she was with Tali, to protect her. That was her plan, there was no other." She shook her head sadly. "As soon as I realized that there was no hope, I immediately left with Tali in case there was another strike. I removed Ziva's things from her car and took them with me."

"And then you brought Tali to me. When did you come up with that idea? I mean, surely there was someone else you thought would be better prepared to take care of a child." Tony's voice was slightly bitter, anger again flaring that he had been kept out of his daughter's life.

"I carried out Ziva's wishes, Tony." Orli answered quietly. Tony gave her the same look when she implied Ziva had come to regret her decision of not telling him of his daughter, one of utter disbelief.

"And why in the world would you think that would be her wish, Orli? She kept Tali from me for a reason, a reason I'm not sure I'll ever understand. Why would you think she would be ok with it now?"

Orli regarded him silently, wishing she could erase the events of the past month and remove the pain and sorrow he was suffering. With regret, she knew she could never answer his many questions, but she could answer this one.

"I brought Tali to you because that was Ziva's plan all along. Ziva and Tali were flying to Washington. Ziva was coming home to you, and bringing your daughter with her."

 **So, at least one answer has been given. Thanks again for your reviews, faves and follows. And for those of you reading and following "In My Life" I am almost done with the next chapter. Hope to get it done over the three-day weekend. Cheers!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks as always for the great reviews. It really makes my day and makes me want to continue to write. This chapter will answer at least one more question before anyone gets sick of waiting. The question being answered in this chapter is using a plot device that I am stealing from the show although it may not be readily apparent here. Enjoy.**

" _ **I carried out Ziva's wishes, Tony." Orli answered quietly. Tony gave her the same look when she implied Ziva had come to regret her decision of not telling him of his daughter, one of utter disbelief.**_

" _ **And why in the world would you think that would be her wish, Orli? She kept Tali from me for a reason, a reason I'm not sure I'll ever understand. Why would you think she would be ok with it now?"**_

 _ **Orli regarded him silently, wishing she could erase the events of the past month and remove the pain and sorrow he was suffering. With regret, she knew she could never answer his many questions, but she could answer this one.**_

" _ **I brought Tali to you because that was Ziva's plan all along. Ziva and Tali were flying to Washington. Ziva was coming home to you, and bringing your daughter with her."**_

Disclaimer: Thus far I don't own anyone in this story.

Hiding In Plain Sight- Chapter Four

 **Paris, France**

 _Anger_

 _Irritation_

 _Frustration_

 _Annoyance_

 _Confusion_

 _Apprehension_

 _Distrust_

 _Worry_

 _Fear…_

As an operative, one is trained to remove all remnants of self, all emotion; in order to make _the mission_ a success. Otherwise, there could be careless errors that could lead to death, or worse, the failure of _the mission_.

 _The Mission._

That was always of the utmost importance, it was always about _the mission_. The person didn't matter, the job did. Whatever it takes to get the job done in order to make _the mission_ a success. _This_ was the life of an undercover agent.

Confusion was the first emotion to seep into the mind. Things were not adding up, not making sense, which was then coupled with the failure of their partner to respond to the message and the result of that caused things to ratchet up a bit. Enter annoyance and frustration.

The annoyance was aimed at the partner for failing to respond; the frustration was for feeling annoyed in the first place. Emotions had no place in the field; this had been ingrained so thoroughly during training that it was unthinkable to even think about. And yet it was almost as if they had lost control of their mind, to focus on the task at hand and were unable to prevent the extraneous from invading their thoughts and to cloud their thinking and judgment.

Irritation showed up to the event when the use of their ATM card revealed that their bank accounts had been frozen. _What the hell? Why was their money being held in a suspense fund?_ This was a serious setback and it required them to resort to carefully targeted shop lifting and pickpocketing to get the required items to survive and continue _the mission_. These acts did not cause a crisis of conscience or any serious concern for that matter, as such acts routinely had to be employed to keep _the mission_ on track.

Anger reared its ugly head when the diamond stash that had been so carefully concealed inside a hollowed out stone of the grave of Cléo de Mérode at Père-Lachaise was found to be missing. Actually, anger was one of the few emotions that was considered useful, as it could often be instrumental in the success of _the mission_.

 _The Mission._

This was where apprehension set in, the obvious failure of _the mission_. They were supposed to be in Cairo, and yet the night of the explosion found them clearly in Israel. That made no sense at all but allowing for the obvious head injury sustained in said explosion, it could be considered that a momentary lapse in the previous events had occurred. But now, almost a month later, they were no closer to understanding this change in venue and what it meant.

Were these terrorists that were ordered to be captured or eliminated, preferably eliminated; were they still on the loose ready to wreak their havoc upon an unsuspecting world? This thought brought more apprehension, resorting in an act that was _never_ allowed while in the field.

 _ET phone home._

They had never been much of a movie aficionado, always preferring the printed word to the moving picture. But the rules of the game had changed, and seeing no other option the dreaded call was made to their superior.

The failure of the call to go through…the number had been disconnected…caused distrust to come to the forefront of the emotional rollercoaster. Was someone playing games? There was no reason for this number to be disconnected, none whatsoever! Multiple tries revealed the same result, causing them to sit and ponder the options available to them before attempting another form of contact. Distrust morphed into worry; the lack of attempts to contact _them_ was now considered to be as a part of the equation. Taking a deep breath, they dialed the one number that would most certainly be in service. The one number they were _absolutely forbidden_ to use while in the field, as it could bring danger, possibly death, to the possessor of that number. But the circumstances were unusual, impossible actually. The phone didn't even get past one ring before that irritating recording crushed their world:

" _The number you have reached is longer in service and has been disconnected."_

"Chara!" They swore as they flung the untraceable burn phone across the room, watching impassively as it broke into multiple pieces. The cell phone they had originally been in possession of had mysteriously disappeared and they had worried upon that discovery if anything about _the mission_ ; or anyone involved in _the mission_ , could have been gleaned from the missing "untraceable" device and therefore compromised. Pacing the room, their anxiety began to coalesce into fear, and then reverted back again to anger. _Was this a burn notice?_ Had that explosion been intended to kill them, and had in fact their partner been a victim? It made no sense, _none_ of it. But as the reality of the situation in front of them could no longer be ignored, the pacing ended and the planning began. Looking in the dim, slightly cracked mirror, they wiped at the smudges and regarded the reflection peering back at them. A hesitant finger traced the lines that had seemed to appear overnight, touching the face that seemed so foreign, the cheeks fuller, the eyes...

They sighed, unable to comprehend the changes before them but understanding the answers they sought were a luxury that would need to wait. For right now, the only concern was survival. And completing _the mission_.

Ziva David was on her own.

 **Israel. Farmhouse of Eli David on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.**

Tony had ignored Orli's pleas for him to not go to the farmhouse, arguing that it could serve no useful purpose but to cause more distress, for him _and_ forTali. The possible distress to Tali did give Tony pause as he considered his options in making this final journey of discovery. The last thing he wanted to do was cause the little girl to have nightmares of her former home as the last time she saw it, the place was still standing…

For the first time, he regretted not asking his father to accompany him. They had discussed the possibility but in the end they both recognized that this was something Tony needed to do on his own. The idea of needing a babysitter had not even been considered, he thought drily to himself. Another indictment of his lack of skills as a father, which didn't say much for his own father's parenting skills for that matter.

Tony was forced to drive around aimlessly until Tali finally fell asleep in her car seat, a trick passed on to him by the ever-helpful Palmer. A final look in the rear view mirror proved the autopsy gremlin knew what he was talking about and Tony headed for this most highly anticipated and nerve wracking destination in Israel. As Orli before him, he parked well away from the structure and carefully locked the car, as he didn't want Tali to suddenly awaken and escape from the vehicle without him knowing it. The weather was cooled by the surrounding trees and the day's temperature was a bit lower than it had been, so Tali getting overheated was also not a concern.

He had assumed he could find the farmhouse on his own, as he himself had been there, albeit briefly, with Ziva two years and nine months ago. He was surprised therefore to see that the directions didn't match his perception of where this attack had taken place. He then surmised that it must have been the place Ziva had been residing when the first attacks on the team by Benham Parsa were occurring; where Tony was going to meet Ziva in their original plans to hook up.

 _Hook up_. Tony grimaced at the term, reminding himself that whatever hopes he may have had at that time when he asked Ziva if she wanted company and she invited him to join her in Israel; in no way was that meant or intended as a simple, one-time hook up. Now having arrived at the site, he realized that this was _also_ not the same house Ziva had fled from, where Adam had found the bodies of the thugs paid by Parsa, and her Star of David necklace. This previously unknown residence surprised him and he wondered briefly just how much real estate Eli David, then Ziva…and now Tali he realized with a start; was in possession of?

Tony walked slowly toward the burnt ruins, the devastation bringing tears to his eyes. _No one could have survived this_ , he thought miserably to himself; making the news report, and Orli's conviction to them in DC, that a survivor had been pulled from the wreckage such a sham it reeked of conspiracy. He noted absently that Ziva's car was no longer on the premises, so he assumed it had been taken…somewhere. Orli hadn't really said much about the car other than taking Ziva's things from its interior.

One of those "things" had been the framed photo of her and Tony on the Vespa scooter in Paris, the same photo Orli had placed in Tali's bag to remind her that at one time in her short life she had two parents. Although she never had the two of them at the same time, Tony understood her sentimentality at that moment and was grateful for the gesture. It was _that_ photo that had brought Tony and Tali together; _that_ photo made Tony realize that he had been a part of Tali's life and it was ok to embrace her as his daughter, to love her.

Orli had in fact given him everything Ziva had packed in the car, which he was shocked to find included her cell phone. He could see the multiple, unanswered calls and texts from himself, realizing now that she probably didn't answer out of safety concerns for Tali. Once they were well away from the farmhouse, from imminent danger…Tony shook his head at his wandering thoughts and what ifs, and focused his attention on the home in front of him.

He was hesitant to walk through the debris, as it would be his luck to step on a rusty nail or fall and hit his head or something else ridiculous like that. He was in foreign territory, in more ways than one and without the safety net of NCIS he had to be more circumspect about his actions.

He looked around as much as he was able. Nothing was recognizable in its original form, but it was not all reduced to ash either. There were some metal objects that had withstood the extreme temperatures but had lost its shape so that Tony couldn't fathom what its former purpose had been. He could make out what he thought might had been the kitchen, but he was not able to get his bearings to figure out where the bedroom had been; where Ziva was reported to be at the time of the strike; where Ziva was reported to have been killed…

Tony abruptly turned away, choking back a sob. This was not how it was supposed to be, this was not how the story of Tony and Ziva was supposed to end. In Tony's mind, there was _never_ supposed to be an ending; certainly there had been a long intermission, but that only made one desire the next act all the more. He looked at the flowers he had in his grip, their beauty mocking the ugliness around him. At the last moment before he and Tali took this journey of discovery, Tony had seen the flower stand. He didn't think or analyze his actions, he just knew he had to buy the flowers.

Now looking at them in his hand, he felt almost out of body as he shakily laid them down at what he presumed to be the threshold of the structure. Stepping back and seeing their bright colors in sharp contrast to the dull and drab ruins broke his heart.

Tony picked up a rock and threw it at the offending pile, unaware that he was mimicking the actions of another; not just by the act of throwing but by throwing the exact same stone that had previously missed its mark. He dropped his arms in defeat, his hopes dashed. Taking one last look, he murmured softly to himself. "The hardest 180 of my life…" and walked backward for a few feet, until he could finally tear his eyes away and turned back toward the car and his future where his daughter was waiting.

 **Whew! That was a lot to take in. And please don't think this will be the norm, two chapters in less than a week is only because I have a three-day weekend. From this chapter you can see that I think there is a continuity error with the show. Although it was never really said, interviews with MW intimated that the farmhouse that was destroyed was the same place Tony and Ziva were when he went back to Israel to find her which was in Beer Sheva. The Israeli reporter in the news footage talking about the attack states the farm house was located in a small village on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. Beer Sheva is about 70 miles from Tel Aviv and not my definition of the outskirts of any place. Then I thought it was the place that Ziva was at when she was first attacked in WTF and Adam and his macho men went to find her and found the dead guys and her necklace. However, that place was in** **Yavne'el, which is also not on the outskirts of Tel Aviv per my rules and is actually about 75 miles from Tel Aviv and close to the Sea of Galilee. Unless they consider any place not Tel Aviv to be the outskirts, this was a total screw up or Ziva owns yet another farmhouse, which in retrospect is not surprising. I would also think she owns a very nice home in Tel Aviv as well thanks to Daddy Eli and his vast fortune.** **Just rambling…**

 **Anyway, thanks again for reading and leaving you nice reviews. Yes, Ziva is alive, but kind of in the Twilight Zone; and poor Tony still thinks the love of his life is gone for good and was very mean about keeping his daughter from him. When oh when will he find out the truth? Stay tuned, keep reading, let me know what you think…and many thanks for your continued support. Happy 4** **th** **!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you to James the Pilot who gave me a geography lesson for Israel and the proper usage of the word outskirts as it applies there. Many thanks, I much appreciate it. However, since I have already written that Tony doesn't recognize the place, it will remain as a third unknown residence of the David family in the "outskirts" of Tel Aviv, even though it does appear that the house in Beer Sheva was the actual target.**

 _ **Tony abruptly turned away, choking back a sob. This was not how it was supposed to be, this was not how the story of Tony and Ziva was supposed to end. In Tony's mind, there was never supposed to be an ending; certainly there had been a long intermission, but that only made one desire the next act all the more. He looked at the flowers he had in his grip, their beauty mocking the ugliness around him. At the last moment before he and Tali took this journey of discovery, Tony had seen the flower stand. He didn't think or analyze his actions, he just knew he had to buy the flowers.**_

 _ **Now looking at them in his hand, he felt almost out of body as he shakily laid them down at what he presumed to be the threshold of the structure. Stepping back and seeing their bright colors in sharp contrast to the dull and drab ruins broke his heart.**_

 _ **Tony picked up a rock and threw it at the offending pile, unaware that he was mimicking the actions of another; not just by the act of throwing but by throwing the exact same stone that had previously missed its mark. He dropped his arms in defeat, his hopes dashed. Taking one last look, he murmured softly to himself. "The hardest 180 of my life…" and walked backward for a few feet, until he could finally tear his eyes away and turned back toward the car and his future where his daughter was waiting.**_

Disclaimer: Not mine except the ones in this chapter that are.

Hiding In Plain Sight- Chapter Five

 **NCIS- Navy Yard**

Timothy McGee sat quietly on the same bench he had recently shared with his former teammate, Tony DiNozzo, as he tried to pry details out of the usually forthcoming Agent and was frustratingly met with a stone wall of resistance. He was amazed he had gotten an admission of love from Tony for Ziva; not because it was a shocking revelation that Tim had never considered, he just never thought Tony would own up to it. Anyone with half a brain could see that Tony was in love with the Israeli beauty, and he always thought Tony was an idiot for trying to hide it, especially from Ziva; Gibbs and his rules be damned.

The subsequent weeks had been just as frustrating as Tony struggled to believe that Ziva had ever loved him, he was so hurt by not knowing about his daughter. Tim, Jimmy and Abby had all insisted that they had seen evidence of her love for him, and as Abby admitted, Ziva "told her" she loved him very much; and that there had to be a logical explanation for her not telling him about the child. Abby never really explained when this declaration of love from Ziva had occurred and Tony never asked. His response was always frustratingly the same: _"I guess I'll never know."_

Tim had struggled to find a suitable answer for his friend, but always ended up being shot down. The only saving grace was Tony's still unwavering love for Ziva. Regardless of how he had been hurt by her omission; despite the doubt that at times overwhelmed him, he still loved her. And now he had this amazing part of her that he shared and the light for Tony in this unfathomable darkness was Tali. At times it was too much to think about and Tim truly didn't believe he should spend that much time on it in the first place; what was the point? It wouldn't change the outcome of these unbelievable events and it certainly wouldn't bring Ziva back. He sighed and leaned back heavily against the bench, shielding his eyes against the noon day sun. He was not surprised to see Abby headed in his direction, as he could often be found sitting here in the afternoon when things got too intense in the bull pen. Tim was not too proud to admit that his new role challenged him at times, but it was when he thought of Tony…and Ziva, that he found his feet treading the path to this spot.

"I knew I would find you here." Abby sat next to her friend and colleague, bumping his shoulder with hers. "Bad day?" Tim looked at her knowingly and Abby linked her arm through his and leaned into him. "I know…I miss him too." She got a gleam in her eye and pulled out her cell phone. Flashing a grin at McGee, she began typing furiously.

 **Israel. Farmhouse of Eli David on the outskirts of Tel Aviv**

As Tony sat behind the wheel of the rental car, taking deep breaths to control his emotions, his phone buzzed in his pocket, adding to his distress. Looking at the readout, he rolled his eyes heavenward… _Abby._

Almost from the moment he left DC, Abby had taken to texting and emailing on a daily basis. Ok, it was more like every four hours. _"Hi, how was the flight? Is Tali ok?" "Hi, we miss you. Is it hot in Israel?" "Hi, just wanted to say hi!" "How is Tali, is she being good for you? I sure do miss you, Tony."_ And so on…Tim and Jimmy had sent at least one email each, hoping that they had arrived safely and in the case of Tim, to let him know if he needed anything, all he had to do was just call. Tony understood that to mean regarding his personal investigation into Ziva's death. Tim was ready to lend a hand if Tony found something on his search for answers, and while Tony appreciated it, he had not answered any of them.

He knew the very second he responded to any of Abby's texts or emails she would take that as an open invitation to call and then he would never get off the phone. He had other things he needed to do first and being "gabby with Abby" was not one of them. This latest text was a bit more informative, in her vague sort of way. _"Timmy is feeling the blues and missing his SFA and is in serious need of some Tony love right now."_ Again, Tony rolled his eyes. He couldn't think of anything McGee had be blue about, after all he finally got his wish and now had the job title he had been jonesing for ever since Ziva left, didn't he?

As soon as the thought entered his brain, he felt contrite as it was not only uncharitable, it was not quite the truth either. Tim had never openly challenged Tony for his position, just as Tony had never tried to oust Gibbs. But considering what Tony was going through right now, he didn't believe there was anything anyone else could be feeling that would compare on the same level.

Still, he felt bad for ignoring their overtures of friendship and support, and realized he had to do something. Wracking his brain for a few moments of a way to appease Abby while keeping his sanity he came across the perfect idea, one that he was sure would appeal to Ziva's sensibilities. He had driven through a small village on the way to the farmhouse and he was sure he saw something that was the American equivalent to a general store…

Nodding to himself, he turned on the ignition and reversed the car. He took one last look at the home before he finally put the car in drive, leaving that part of his life, and Tali's, behind them. He quickly found the place he remembered, a sort of indoor/outdoor market, clothing store, coffee shop and who knows what else. Tali by now had awakened and was fussing a bit. Tony removed her from the car seat and rubbed her back, kissing her head softly.

"Did you have a nice nap, Tali? How about something nice and cool to drink, ok?" Tali laid her head on his shoulder and Tony closed his eyes in awe of the emotions such a small act invoked. Kissing his daughter again, he entered the quaint store, looking around for something that would be acceptable for a two-year old to drink. Eying the juice boxes on the shelf, which he could only identify because of the drawing on the carton; he sighed in relief at Tali's response. This was clearly something she knew and Tony felt a sense of triumph. As he was paying for the drink, and the coffee for himself, he browsed through the postcards. He couldn't bring himself to call anyone right now, but a postcard to let them know he was touched that they were thinking of him and Tali was just the ticket. It would at least give him a few day's reprieve before it was delivered and the invitation at further contact was construed.

Taking three postcards, Tony quickly scrawled a quick note to each. Rather than wracking his brain or thumbing through his phone for their personal addresses he decided to send them to the Navy Yard. He didn't concern himself as to whether or not Bishop or Gibbs would be miffed that they also didn't received a post card; it wasn't even on his radar. He did write his own name and return address in case they got lost, and then he could hand deliver them himself when he got home. Satisfied with his decision, he asked the clerk where he could mail the cards. Not surprisingly, the store was also the local post office. Tony almost chuckled, thinking of Jackson Gibbs and his store back in Stillwater, Pennsylvania.

"Anthony DiNozzo? You are Anthony DiNozzo?" The question from the man behind the counter caused Tony to hold Tali even closer to him, the first time he felt uneasy since he had arrived.

"And if I am?" He asked hesitantly, not sure how the man would know his name, other than the obvious fact he had just written it on a bunch of post cards. _Duh_. To his surprise, a big smile and what seemed to be a sense of relief appeared on the man's face.

"I have something for you. You come, yes?" He beckoned for Tony to follow him through a curtained opening into what appeared to be a back room. Tony looked at Tali and hesitated. If he had been by himself, he would have followed the man, albeit cautiously. But with his daughter present Tony wasn't about to take any unnecessary risks. The man seemed to understand his reluctance and showed his open hands. "It is ok. There is something of yours here. I want to give it to you." Perplexed, and frankly curious, Tony followed the man into the back room, taking in his surroundings and all possible exits of escape.

He watched the man reach for a box on a high shelf, grunting a bit at the effort. Finally manhandling the unwieldy object from its resting place to a nearby table, the man looked up a Tony, his expression a mixture of relief and embarrassment.

"What is this?" Tony asked, eyeing the box suspiciously. It was an old, dilapidated thing and Tony didn't want to go anywhere near it. Tali looked at the box through her child's eyes and clapped her hands, thinking there was a surprise inside for her. Her actions amused Tony and he looked at his daughter with adoring eyes. He turned back to the man and noticed the sadness on his face.

"Is she the baby that survived?" Tony was taken aback at the question, and instinctively held Tali closer to his chest. His heart started pounding, wondering what in the hell this was all about.

"Did you know her; did you know Ziva?" Tony barely choked out. The man's eyes widened in surprise but he shook his head in the negative.

"Sadly no. I only came shortly after the terrible tragedy. The woman who used to run the store left the area and I was needed to run the postal service. I naturally took over the whole place…" He drifted off as he regarded Tony's confused expression. "Anyway, I was clearing things out and found this box a few days ago. I was not sure what to do, and yet here you are! It is a miracle, yes?" Tony shook his head, not understanding what the man was going on about. His brain was stuck on the fact that the previous proprietor left, maybe around the time of the explosion. Was it before or after? Before Tony could open his mouth to voice his queries, the man lifted the lid off of the box. Tony's eyes drifted down to view the contents of the mysterious box.

 _Letters. Lots of letters._

The man now looked a bit scared, and nervous. "I do not know why they were never sent on, so that you could receive them. I was not here at the time you see, so I do not know why Mrs. Katz held on to them…" he trailed off at as Tony stepped forward.

"These are for me? _All_ of these?" His tone was a mixture of disbelief and anger, which he quickly reined in. It was clear that this man was not responsible for whatever _this_ …was.

The man took a step back as Tony came forward, sensing his demeanor. "Not all, but most, yes. I am so sorry; I do not know…" Tony held up his hand and smiled slightly to appease the owner's agitation. The action worked and the man relaxed and started to take the letters out and spread them on the table.

Tony hitched his breath, as even from a few feet he could recognize the handwriting. He had instinctively known who these letters were written by but the affirmation was a blow. He picked the pile up, realizing that some of the letters appeared to be older than others if the color of the paper was any indication. He absently noted a letter or two for Gibbs, McGee and Abby; but the majority were addressed to him. He hefted the pile in his hand, holding in his emotions in front of a man he did not know but who had recognized his name.

"What is your name?" Tony suddenly asked, wanting to know who he was speaking to. The man looked startled but quickly recovered and held out his hand.

"Jacob, Jacob Lubin at your service." Tony shook the proffered hand, and nodded his thanks. He fingered the letters again, knowing that there was more to this than met the eye.

"And the woman before you…Mrs. Katz?" Again, Jacob looked surprised at the question but he had interacted with Americans before and they seemed to have a propensity to want to know things.

"Yes, Mrs. Katz. Uh, Irena Katz. She had been here for many years…" At this Jacob looked upward as he tried to recall the exact time. "Certainly by 2001, as that is the earliest ledger date I have come across. As I said, she left about three weeks ago." At this, Jacob glanced around as if looking for unwelcomed listeners, his voice dropping to a whisper. "From what I have heard, she just suddenly disappeared. No explanation, no note. It was a shock to her friends, and after what happened at that farmhouse…"

Tony's years of law enforcement kicked in and he looked alert. "When exactly did she disappear, as you say." This time, Jacob didn't need to do any internal calculations. He knew exactly when she no longer showed up for work.

"She was missing here on the afternoon of May 10th. She never returned after taking her lunch. It was quite concerning, but then the terrible fire turned everyone's attention elsewhere…" He trailed off and looked quizzically at Tony, noting the change in his expression, and complexion. "Is there a problem? Why do you want to know these things?"

Tony quickly looked up and cleared his thoughts, willing the color to return to his face. "No, nothing is wrong. I just wanted to know the details of… _this_." He replied, holding up the letters. Privately, his mind was reeling with the coincidence of Irena Katz suddenly disappearing the afternoon of the strike on Ziva's home; and then these letters…there was more to this than an obvious postal service gaffe and Tony had an idea of where it all started.

 _Mossad._

 **Paris, France**

Ziva took the sharpening stone and hefted it in her left hand. The weight of the stone was a welcome comfort in an existence that was upside down. She gazed at the smooth texture, marveling in the intricacies of nature, admiring an object that was the perfect blend of beauty and function. She started humming a favorite tune as she began to hone her knife; a tune that she couldn't remember when she first heard it or why it was a favorite; but one that she was obviously quite familiar with…

" _Luck Be a Lady Tonight…"_

She shook her head in amusement, ignoring the pain such an action incurred. Luck belonged to the ill-prepared. Ziva David was not lucky; she was a trained Mossad operative and luck was not a part of her vocabulary. She held up the knife and turned it on an angle, admiring its clean edge, its simplicity masking its versatility. A small stiletto could be pull away with the handle and the serrated teeth at the tip, mimicking those of a shark, ensured that its victim would suffer excruciating pain upon their first unanticipated and highly unwelcomed introduction.

" _Don't forget to brush the shark teeth…"_

Ziva stilled her hand, her eyes unfocused. For a moment she was…somewhere else, someplace foreign and yet there had been a feeling of family, of comfort, yet also of sadness…

She snorted and shrugged her shoulders, dismissing the errant thought from her mind. Too often these random visions would appear but they made absolutely no sense. Ziva did not have a medical background, unlike her half-brother Ari, but she thought it could be likely that she may be suffering from some sort of hallucination. It did not concern her too much, as she was able to bring herself back immediately; but still she thought maybe that once this was over she should have a discussion with Ari as a part of her debriefing.

As she bent over to resume the task at hand, the humming changed to voice, as she softly sang a little tune that just popped into her head.

" _You…only live twice... or so it seems; one life for yourself... and one for your dreams…"_

 **Israel, Small Village just outside of Tel Aviv**

Before Tony completely lost it, he thanked Jacob for recovering the letters and returning them to their rightful owners and promised that the letters not addressed to him would be hand delivered to the proper recipients. Jacob was relieved to have them taken off of his hands, and walked Tony out to his car. Tony waved as he drove away, his gut churning with thoughts of conspiracy and lies. As he came to a stop at the edge of the village, Tony looked over his shoulder at his innocent daughter. Tali was playing with her Kelev, totally oblivious to the turmoil brewing inside her father and her smiling, dimpled face caused Tony to take a deep breath.

The last thing he needed, or wanted, to do was storm Mossad headquarters demanding answers. He wasn't sure what the correct questions were just yet, armed with only a handful of letters and the suspicious actions of a woman he had never heard of. He would either be shown the door and thrown into a room, neither of which would serve him well at the moment.

Sighing deeply, he took in another breath to calm his emotions, forcing himself to relax and think only of Tali for the moment. She babbled happily at her stuffed doggy and Tony was hit by a wave of sadness that she was going to lose her Hebrew language more than likely. It would be much easier for Tony to teach her English, than for Tony to learn to be fluent in Hebrew and it was clear that Ziva had already taught her a few words, if pizza and James Bond were any indication. It was selfish, he recognized that; but it was more important to be able to communicate with this daughter than to appease those who wished Tali to retain her native language. He wasn't quite sure who he was referring to at the moment, but he thought Schmeil would probably prefer that Tali continue to speak in the language of her mother.

 _Schmeil!_ All this time, Tony had not thought of the old man and now he was devastated. Did Schmeil know what had happened? Did Schmeil know of Tali? Tony couldn't imagine that anything got by the aged gentleman and he doubted Ziva could have kept Tali from him.

Tony scrubbed at his face in frustration. He was tired and getting punchy. The more he sought answers, the more questions arose. Putting the car into gear, Tony continued his journey back to the hotel, aware that answers were waiting for him but some may have to wait another day. Tonight, there was only one answer he was looking for.

 _The letters._

Once back at the hotel, Tony was able to make a respectable dinner that Tali ate and appeared to enjoy. He had quickly learned some of her likes and dislikes: peaches, like; spinach, dislike. She loved spaghetti and Tony smiled as he imagined Ziva trying to get their daughter to enjoy the dishes Tony loved…

He gave her a bath, which was still hit and miss as far as its intended purpose and then read her a bedtime story. This was becoming a favorite part of his day, father and daughter sitting together sharing the wonder of the written word and fanciful illustrations. Tali loved books, a love no doubt inherited from her mother. She pointed excitedly at the pictures and mimicked the words as Tony spoke them. He had no doubt the she would be speaking English very quickly and despite his earlier thoughts of how that would be for the best, he again felt a wave of sadness.

The baby's drooping eyes and evened breathing told of her slumber and Tony carefully laid her in the crib. He caressed her curls, smiling softly at his little miracle. He watched her sleeping, still amazed and slightly in shock at his change in lifestyle. He stayed long enough to ensure that Tali would remain asleep and then grabbed the letters, a cup of coffee and sat on the sofa.

He spread the letters out on the coffee table, eyeing them with some sense of dread. He quickly removed those not addressed to him and carefully bundled them together and placed them in his bag. Taking a deep breath, he gently picked up a letter that appeared older than most, and sat back in shock at the address:

" _NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, Jr USS Ronald Reagan"._

His head fell to the back of the couch as the events of that time came flooding back. Jenny had been killed and the team had been split up, at the time appearing to be as punishment for Tony and Ziva's failure to keep the Director safe. His hands shook as he opened the envelope, and sucked in his breath when saw the date of the letter was June 15, 2008. Ziva was back in Mossad, and Tony had been on the ship for about a month. Sighing deeply, he began to read the short letter.

 _"Dear Tony,_

 _I hope you are doing well with your new position. You never mentioned whether or not you had sea feet so I hope you are not suffering too much from being on the ocean, yes?"_ At this Tony had to chuckle at Ziva's botched attempt to say sea legs, instead coming up with sea feet.

" _I fear that my instructions to you that we were not at fault for Jenny have not been accepted and that you have taken your sorrows in a direction you should not. Do not rely on the drink, Tony. It will only destroy you in the end. I am worried about you, and do not want you to throw everything away over a misguided and mistaken sense of guilt."_ At this Tony had to look upward, to stem the flow of tears. She knew him so well, even then. This letter would have helped him so much…

" _My father has assigned me a new partner; his name is Michael. I have not ever worked with him before and it is awkward. I do not trust him yet. But then I did not trust you at first and I came to trust you with my life. I suppose the same will happen in time, but I am not pleased."_ At this, Tony folded the letter and placed it back inside the envelope. The memories of this time were too many, of not especially pleasant; memories that were best left in the past.

Putting the first letter aside, Tony randomly took another, again one that appeared to be older. As soon as he looked at the date, he knew what this was about and he wasn't sure he wanted to read it.

" _May 28, 2009_

 _Dear Tony,_

 _I am at a loss of what to say to you. I am still angry that you did not trust me and as a result Michael is dead. I am angry at my father for tricking me, for assigning Michael to me to seduce me and cause me to doubt you and Gibbs. I am angry at myself for being weak and trusting my father and Michael over you; and for asking Gibbs to make a choice, a choice I had no right to ask because I knew the correct answer all along._

 _Despite my anger, I am sorry that you were injured. I never told you that. I do not know that you will ever trust me again and for that I am so very sorry. I am writing to tell you these things, in case I never get the chance in the future. My father is sending me on a mission that I know will not end well. It is my punishment for my sins, for wanting to leave Mossad and go to America, and for Michael._

 _I do not know what the future holds, but if my concerns are correct I will be dead by the time you receive this letter. Do not grieve for me, or feel sorry for me. It is justified. My only wish for you is to find your own personal happiness and to forget I was ever in your life."_

Tony dropped the letter and put his face in his hands. The Ziva of this time was so conflicted and at a loss over the events that were playing out before her. All of his emotions at the time blossomed as he recalled that horrible summer when he searched for her, thought she was dead, sought to avenge her death and found her alive. How could she think he would ever want to forget her? Tony shook his head in anger at Eli David and his machinations. All of this was his fault!

Tony looked at her words again: _"It is my punishment for my sins, for wanting to leave Mossad and go to America."_ Wanting to leave Mossad? Wanting to go to America? Had that been in Ziva's mind even before the events of Somalia? He wished Ziva had confided in him, but with Michael in the picture; and Jeanne before that, they had been estranged for some time. Their partnership was not broken, but it was not as close as it had been.

Tony stood up and walked around, stepping away from what was before him. He realized with a sinking heart that Ziva was not aware that he had never received her letters. She must have thought he was a thoughtless asshole for never responding to or acknowledging her words. He wondered briefly why she didn't challenge his negligence when they were once again partnered together, but Ziva probably thought he wasn't worth the effort at the time. Although he _did_ remember her saying to him when she and Gibbs joined him on the USS Seahawk that _"you could have called"_. Was that a subtle hint that she was not happy he hadn't answered her letter written four months previously? His lack of response should have rung warning sirens with her, but she was still in the clutches of Mossad and Michael at the time so she probably didn't care. _SHIT!_

Tony poured out the last dregs of his coffee into the sink and wished for a moment that a bottle of scotch was within reach. He shook his head at that, reaffirming his commitment that no alcohol be consumed while he was alone with Tali. A search of the small refrigerator found a Coke that had not yet been claimed, and Tony returned to the couch with the bottle in his hand.

He peered at the remaining letters addressed to him, eight in total. He took the next one in line as they seemed to have been sorted by date already. Resigned to finding yet another indictment of Ziva's self-loathing he removed the one-page letter, glancing at the date. _December 14, 2013._ A little over two months since Tony had left the love of his life on a tarmac in Israel and returned to his home, alone, and a span of five years since the last letter. His hands started to shake as he realized what this letter could be about, a slight perspiration forming on his brow.

 **Thanks again for the tremendous response to my little story. It still has a way to go, so not quite done yet so please hang in there. I have included some references to the Ziva section of this chapter:**

" _ **Luck Be a Lady Tonight" Ep 5.3 Ex File. Tony singing with the iPod Abby gave him**_

" _ **Don't forget to brush the shark teeth" Ep 10.15 Hereafter. Tony is wearing the pizza shark face, says this to Vance's kids as they head back to get ready for bed.**_

" _ **You Only Live Twice" 1967 Sean Connery as James Bond, sung by Nancy Sinatra. No idea if this particular Bond movie was ever mentioned by Tony, but hey, it's Bond and it fits very nicely into Ziva's life at the moment.**_


	6. Chapter 6

**I am overwhelmed by the response to this story. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. As one of my reviewers pointed out, this story is quite different than the fluffy chapters in my "Life" series. Yes, there is some drama but not the angst that is present here. It is a lot easier to write about Karina getting potty-trained than Tony dealing with a mother-less child, just saying (you had to have read chapter five of "In My Life" to understand what I am talking about).**

 **Anyway, some more answers in this chapter; the two most important ones I think. I added a date stamp so everyone could keep track of the time line.**

 _ **He peered at the remaining letters addressed to him, eight in total. He took the next one in line as they seemed to have been sorted by date already. Resigned to finding yet another indictment of Ziva's self-loathing he removed the one-page letter, glancing at the date. December 14, 2013. A little over two months since Tony had left the love of his life on a tarmac in Israel and returned to his home, alone, and a span of five years since the last letter. His hands started to shake as he realized what this letter could be about, a slight perspiration forming on his brow.**_

Disclaimer: So Say We All.

 **Tel Aviv, Israel-Evening of June 4, 2016**

" _December 14, 2013_

 _Dearest Tony,_

 _I hope you are doing well, and that the others are also well. I miss everyone very much, much more than I thought possible. But mostly I miss_ _you_ _._

 _I will never forget our time together here; it will always be cherished. Tony, there is something I must tell you and I could not find the words to tell you over the phone. I want you to know that I love you very much and I would never hurt you if I could avoid it, although I do understand that I already have. But something unexpected has happened and I cannot keep it from you. Tony, our final nights together, of loving each other, has resulted in a miracle. We have created a child, Tony; a baby that is the result of our shared love. I am still in shock, and I can imagine that you are in shock as well as you read my words to you. I never intended this to happen, but I am overjoyed that it has._

 _I do not know how you will feel about this, whether you will be angry and not want anything to do with us, or if you will want to drop everything and join us here in Israel. I beg you to not disrupt your life, to not make a sudden decision without thinking it through first. As much as I hope you will embrace the idea of becoming a father, I cannot make any demands. We can discuss things as they progress, and come to a mutually satisfactory decision. I want our child to know their father, regardless of where each of us may be._

 _I hope you are not angry and I know this is the last thing you probably wanted to hear. But it is not my right to keep this from you and I hope you will understand that._

 _I love you, Ziva"_

Holy Mother of God.

This time, Tony was unable to keep the tears at bay. Here at last was confirmation: that Ziva loved him and wanted him to know that she was pregnant. All of his anger and disappointment at Ziva for keeping him from Tali disappeared in that instant, to be replaced by sorrow that he never received this important news and that Ziva had died thinking he didn't want anything to do with her and their child.

Once Tony had composed himself, he quickly opened the succeeding letters: A short note with an ultrasound photo showing that their baby was a little girl, as well as another photo of Ziva revealing her baby bump with an expression that was a mixture of joy, disbelief and perhaps shyness of showing off her pregnant belly in a picture; a longer letter announcing the birth of Talia David-DiNozzo, including every excruciating detail of Ziva's labor and Tali's birth. He grimaced at her words, and his anger flared anew at not being at her side. This time however, the anger was not directed at Ziva but at this mysterious Irena Katz who had kept his love from him. The accompanying photo with this letter revealed an exhausted but happy Ziva holding newborn Tali. Tony fingered the picture and wondered briefly who the photographer had been. Sighing softly, he put the photo aside and reached for the next envelope.

This letter was dated about five months after Tali's birth and it was about her first tooth coming in. Although Ziva seemed excited about the event, the photo of the tear filled Tali, with the tiny tooth peeking out from her drooling mouth caused him to jerk his head toward the sleeping child. _"Did it hurt, baby?"_ He wanted to ask his daughter, sad he wasn't there to make it all better.

The next letter was the celebration of Tali's first birthday, and again Tony was bitter at having been denied this milestone event. Tali's big smile, the icing on her face and in her hair, the proud mother behind her: the photo was a testament to the love Ziva had for her daughter and her role as her mother. He stared at the picture for several minutes, memorizing each detail: The length of Ziva's hair, the happiness in her face, the excitement of Tali almost jumping off of the glossy paper. He should have been there and he wanted to tell Ziva so much that if he had known, he would have been there in a second.

Just a week after this momentous milestone, Tali started walking on her own and another new letter and photo was sent. She had been standing for quite a while and had been taking steps, but this was the first time she had walked any distance without assistance. The words Ziva wrote emoted with a mother's love and pride. Her words to _him_ broke his heart: _"I wish you could see her Tony, she has your eyes"_. Again, he put the letter down and had to step away. Despite his silence, despite the certain knowledge that Ziva believed he wanted nothing to do with her or his daughter; Ziva kept him informed, told him of her triumphs and her boo-boos; her first words and her first steps. Never once did she blame him for his inaction, for not acknowledging his daughter. He felt so ashamed, and yet common sense reminded him that none of this was his fault. Nor was it Ziva's.

The seventh letter was dated around Christmas 2015. Ziva talked of Tali's first interest in Chanukah and Christmas. Tony was surprised that Ziva had introduced Christmas to their little girl, being how her father was not around, but he shrugged it off as just another way Ziva was trying to include him in Tali's life. The pictures of Tali with the Shabbat candles and in front of a Christmas tree that looked to be an olive tree with hand-made ornaments and lights caused him to chuckle at Ziva's efforts. Tali was clearly excited by all of the colorfully wrapped gifts and was holding Kelev, which Ziva had thoughtfully given to her as a gift from _Abba_.

Tony got up and grabbed the stuffed dog from the side chair, where it had been left after story time. He gave it a soft squeeze, trying to imagine the first time Tali held the precious toy. He didn't understand why Ziva continued to talk about him to Tali when she probably believed he didn't give a crap, for either of them. In that moment he decided that Ziva David was a far better human being than he ever would be, and doubted he was worthy of her love.

Glancing down at the coffee table, he reluctantly reached for the final letter. He didn't know how much more of this he could take, but he would see it through: for Ziva and for Tali. Removing the pages from the envelope, he paced about the living room as he read the last letter Ziva would ever write to him.

" _April 10, 2016_

 _Dear Tony,_

 _Tali and I hope you are well. You should see your daughter Tony. She has grown so much this past year. I believe she will be tall, like her father. And her smile reminds me so much of yours, it makes me smile in return to see it. She is such a happy child, and I have made every effort to ensure that hers is a life free from the sorrow and terror I grew up with. We can only protect our children for a short while but I will do everything in my power to protect Tali as long as I am able._

 _You will be pleased to know that your daughter has apparently inherited your love of movies. However, I must inform you that her favorite movie at the moment is The Sound of Music. I make no apology for that…she is also quite the dancer and makes the most adorable hip shakes to music._

 _I want you to know that I tell Tali about you every day. To her, you are her Abba and she loves you very much. I hope one day you will want to have Tali in your life but I leave that to your decision. I do want to tell you that Tali and I will be in New York for three weeks in June. We will be celebrating Tali's second birthday with Schmeil. He has not been feeling well, and I want him to see Tali as much as he is able. New York is not as far as Israel so I hope you will consider joining us. You can bring a guest if you wish, Tali will be thrilled to see you no matter what._

 _I hope that you are not upset that I have continued to send you these letters about our daughter, even though Abby told me not to. I don't want to disrupt your life, Tony and I do recognize that a child was not on your "pail list" if I remember correctly"._ Tony chuckled at Ziva's botched English for "bucket list". _"But I keep hoping that this beautiful child will change your mind and that you will someday embrace her._

 _I do hope you will think about it, Tony. You and I both had only one parent for too many years. I wish for more for our Tali._

 _Love,_

 _Ziva and Tali (and Kelev)"_

Tony broke down once more and started sobbing quietly, cognizant of the fact that he was not alone in the hotel room. This letter was the most heart-wrenching for him as it was clear that Ziva had slightly shown her hand and had given voice to some clues as to why she believed Tony was remaining incommunicado regarding Tali. As far as he was concerned, the distance would have been a non-issue, but Ziva mentioning New York as being closer to Washington than Israel was a punch to his gut. But it was her allowing him to bring a "guest" that got to him the most. Ziva believed Tony had moved on and a child had no place in his new life. And while he had actually kind of sort of moved on briefly, dating Zoe for most of 2015; if Tony had received these letters when they should have arrived he would have known about Tali long before Zoe showed up to the party. Did Ziva really think he would move on immediately after leaving her in Israel?

 _No,_ he shook his head. She was again trying to make a plausible excuse to explain his failure to step up into his role as a father. He didn't know why Ziva was so willing to protect him… _yes, yes, he did;_ and when he figured it out he could have given himself a head slap worthy of Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

It wasn't so much protecting Anthony DiNozzo, Jr as it was protecting Talia David-DiNozzo. Ziva would not be a bitter woman bad-mouthing the father of her child to their only offspring. She would only relay the good and the beautiful about the man who had helped her create this wondrous life. Tali would grow up loving her father for the man her mother believed him to be; not hating him for the man he seemed to be.

Wait a minute… _like Abby told her not to?_ What in the hell was _that_ supposed to mean? Tony reread the sentence in the letter and was brought back to his final day at work, when he and Abby were in the elevator together. Her words didn't register with him at the time, he was so focused on what he was about to do and not what Abby may have done in the past. She knew he was doubting himself, thinking that he had read more into what Ziva felt for him than maybe what was the truth. Her words, coupled with Ziva's, were now a blow that he felt unsure that he could recover from:

" _Ziva…really…loved you. I know…she told me."_

Emotions were so high at that moment that Tony never thought to ask her for specifics, even when Abby repeated her words of wisdom later when Tony was feeling particularly down. What in the hell was wrong with him? He was an investigator, for God's sake! How could he let that go without asking for details? _When_ did Ziva say that to her? And _why_? _What_ were the circumstances. Christ!

 _Did Abby know that Ziva was pregnant? Did Abby know about Tali?_

Tony began pacing again, his anger mounting; anger at himself and at Abby for not giving full disclosure. As he started muttering, to bring himself down from the proverbial ledge he heard a soft creaking noise and looked up in surprise to see Tali standing in the crib, clutching the rail. Two huge alligator tears were tracing their way down her chubby cheeks and Tony felt a sense of shame at her seeing him like this. He quickly strode over and scooped her out her bed, hugging her close.

He kissed her soft curls, telling her how much he loved her and how he would always protect her and he would never, _ever_ leave her. Tali understand more than what she could verbalize, and she felt his love, melting into his arms. Tony took her to the rocking chair and sat with her, moving the chair back and forth in a gentle, calming rhythm. He needed to get a hold of himself, and put this aside for now for as Gibbs pointed out, it wasn't just about him anymore. He turned his daughter in his arms so that she was facing him directly and spoke from his heart.

"Tali, I want you to know that Daddy loves your Mommy very, very much. I will always love your Mommy and I will always love you. Do you understand?" Tali nodded her head and placed her hands on his face.

"Love Daddy." She kissed his lips, and burrowed her head into his neck, holding tight to him, as Tony continued to rock: father and daughter together as one. No matter what had happened; and he would find out _exactly_ what had happened; even knowing would not change the outcome. All that was important was the here and now. And right now, Tali was falling asleep in her father's embrace.

 **Paris, France**

Time heals all things, including injuries. As the days passed, so did the cobwebs that seemed to be ever present in Ziva's mind. Initially refusing to see what was staring her in the face, literally, she finally succumbed to an uneasy acceptance. The evidence was clear; this was not a major conspiracy undertaken to alter Ziva David's reality, it was the truth. And the truth that Ziva finally came to accept is that she was not that young woman in the midst of a major op to stop yet another heinous act by religious zealots who rained terror onto innocent victims.

The realization that it was actually 2016 and not 2004 was one that was slow in coming, but come it did. The evidence had been there from the first: the dates on the newspapers and receipts for things she had purchased, the strange technology she had never seen, as well as the questionable fashion, and music she had never heard before. It explained so much: the lack of contact, of not being able to communicate with her partner and superiors was not as shocking as before, as it was procedure to immediately eradicate existing phone numbers that would no longer be of use. Yes, that was the easy answer, the numbers had all been changed. It was simple, really.

As she contemplated this new change in her circumstances, Ziva was forced to accept some conclusions that she found difficult to believe. First and foremost, she was alive. She had never expected to live beyond her twenty-fifth birthday and actually reaching her third decade would have been considered absurd. And yet here she was, clearly alive and since she was capable of simple math, would be turning thirty-four years old on the twelfth of November. And other than the injuries she had sustained in the event in Israel, she was healthy but clearly not in the prime physical condition she had enjoyed in 2004 or what she would have expected from a Mossad field operative. These facts indicated to her that she perhaps she had possibly retired to a desk job, although many older officers still acted as spies, and undercover work didn't always equate to physical duress. She scrunched up her nose at the idea of sitting at a desk, but the slight roundness of her hip, and the fullness of her breasts and cheeks told a story that did not correlate with intensive physical training.

Now that she had accepted that she was not on that mission in Cairo, she was able to recognize where she had been when she had regained consciousness. She could not recall any time as an adult that she had visited the farmhouse her father had bought shortly after his marriage to her mother, his wedding gift to her. She felt a momentary wave of sadness that it had been destroyed, but she knew instinctively that was where her story of the Ziva of today began.

The attack on the farmhouse was very concerning, as Ziva wasn't sure if she was the intended target or perhaps it was her father. The concept of a coup was not far-fetched; even the position of Deputy Director was coveted; and because of that she was reluctant to contact Mossad headquarters, for fear of what she may find. If there had been a coup, she could also be in danger. That final number she had called had been his personal line, one that had always stood the test of time. For it to be discontinued now could only be for one reason, and she was not ready to concede to that inevitability just yet. If her father was dead…Ziva shook her head, unwilling to consider the possibility.

She also couldn't go to the Israeli Embassy, if her passport was to be believed. According to the document she was an American citizen. _American!_ She had assumed at first it was a forgery, although she had never used the United States as a place of origin in the past. The expiration date was listed as Nov 10, 2020, ten years after it was issued, and the address listed for herself was in Washington, DC. Scrutinizing the record, she felt goosebumps at its familiarity but she passed it off as be taken from something she had read in the past, most likely for this fake ID. Still, she didn't feel comfortable contacting the American Embassy either. Found to be in possession of a fake passport was a serious matter, and not something she wanted to test.

The only way for Ziva to go forward at this point was to treat this new situation as she would any op: it was time to go on a fact-finding mission, and gather intel; and for that she would need to find a computer and start searching for answers. In her mind it was 2004: it was time to uncover the missing pieces of the puzzle that was the past twelve years of her life.

 **This chapter reveals the ONLY way I can accept that Ziva had a baby and didn't tell Tony; and the manner in which she survived the attack and didn't immediately at least contact Orli if not Tony. I shamelessly stole the undelivered letter concept from my story "Family First-Redux". My Ziva would never have kept the pregnancy and birth of Tali from Tony. All it did was give the Ziva haters more fuel for their fire. So Tony finds out the truth: that Ziva never kept the pregnancy and Tali from him, but someone else did. By the same token, I can't believe that Ziva would just dump Tali on Tony and disappear into the night to save her own ass. I truly believe that if Ziva was alive, she would be with Tali, period. Therefore, the only acceptable solution for Ziva to be alive and** _ **not**_ **be with Tali is for her to have suffered a head injury in which her memory of recent events is gone. I openly confess that I have taken this plot device from Season Three's Hiatus Parts One and Two; in which Gibbs is blown up and when he awakens he thinks he was injured during the war and Shannon and Kelly had just died. Ziva was instrumental in Gibbs remembering the present but he will not be reciprocating for her. Ziva knows who she is, and now knows when it is, even if she has no memories after 2004. Regarding the Tony/Abby elevator scene: I know of at least one story about this, but I am sure it's made an appearance in others. There are only so many ways to read into this, so I am sure I will be following someone else's thought process. I can only imagine how much Pauley P hated having to say those lines, since she was such a strong, vocal opponent to TIVA; and in my opinion, not supportive of Cote. Oh, and the established date of birth for Ziva is November 12, 1982 in case anyone was wondering. Thanks again for the great reviews and for reading.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I am amazed at the wonderful reviews. Welcome my new readers and thank you from the bottom of my heart for your faves and follows.**

 _ **The attack on the farmhouse was very concerning, as Ziva wasn't sure if she was the intended target or perhaps it was her father. The concept of a coup was not far-fetched; even the position of Deputy Director was coveted; and because of that she was reluctant to contact Mossad headquarters, for fear of what she may find. If there had been a coup, she could also be in danger. That final number she had called had been his personal line, one that had always stood the test of time. For it to be discontinued now could only be for one reason, and she was not ready to concede to that inevitability just yet. If her father was dead…Ziva shook her head, unwilling to consider the possibility.**_

 _ **She also couldn't go to the Israeli Embassy, if her passport was to be believed. According to the document she was an American citizen. American! She had assumed at first it was a forgery, although she had never used the United States as a place of origin in the past. The expiration date was listed as Nov 10, 2020, ten years after it was issued, and the address listed for herself was in Washington, DC. Scrutinizing the record, she felt goosebumps at its familiarity but she passed it off as be taken from something she had read in the past, most likely for this fake ID. Still, she didn't feel comfortable contacting the American Embassy either. Found to be in possession of a fake passport was a serious matter, and not something she wanted to test.**_

 _ **The only way for Ziva to go forward at this point was to treat this new situation as she would any op: it was time to go on a fact-finding mission, and gather intel; and for that she would need to find a computer and start searching for answers. In her mind it was 2004: it was time to uncover the missing pieces of the puzzle that was the past twelve years of her life.**_

Disclaimer: I should own them, but I don't

 **Beer Sheva, Israel. David Family Farmhouse- June 5, 2016**

Tony walked slowly up to the entrance of the last place he had spent any time with Ziva, the memories flooding over him as a runaway river. At first, she had not been pleased to see him, which had upset him but he did understand that she was only really mad that she had been _found_ , not that it was he, _Tony_ , standing there in front of her.

The next few days had been spent in futile attempts to bring Ziva home with him, to start a new life together although in retrospect he allowed that he probably hadn't been as clear on his intentions as he should have been. Whether she truly didn't believe she was worthy of him, or anyone for that matter; or she doubted his sincerity was a moot point: she stayed, he left, and in the midst of all of it they created a beautiful little girl, their daughter Tali.

Tony hadn't really considered until the day before that all of Ziva's property, money and belongings now legally belonged to his soon-to-be two-year old daughter. Orli hadn't really discussed Ziva's estate with him and he hadn't thought to ask. There hadn't even been a proper funeral or memorial for her yet, at least from him; it didn't seem appropriate to even broach the subject had it even occurred to him. But standing here now he knew that no matter what, he would bend over backwards to keep this home for Tali.

It was the home where her mother was born, the home where her parents declared their love in an almost Romeo and Juliet fashion, hungering after each other as they knew that their time together would be brief. And finally, it was the home where Tali had been conceived. Tony took a deep breath, memorizing the importance of this simple home and how it had impacted all of their lives. He did not want to keep this place as a maudlin memorial to the love of his life and the mother of his daughter. No, he wanted it to be a place of love and light, and everything Ziva had meant to him.

"Ima?" Tali tugged at his pants leg, sitting patiently in her stroller and peering at the home with interest. Tony smiled and stooped down beside the toddler. She knew this place and that gave him hope, that there was light at the end of this dark tunnel.

"Yes, Tali. Mommy and Daddy were here together. Mommy and Daddy loved each other and now we have you. We love you so much." Tony caressed her light curls, his tone upbeat to mask his emotions, but keeping away from the happy, singsong voice Palmer had introduced him to when speaking to children. He had also all but dropped the Hebrew monikers for Ziva and himself, praying that he was not making a mistake in that respect.

"Mommy?" Tali looked at him, her innocent smile melting him and making him feel bad at the same time. _He couldn't do it_ ; he couldn't take away the name Ziva had given herself to her child. She would always be _Ima_. But Tony would not be Abba, he firmly decided. It was his right to have his daughter call him the name he wished, unless of' course she came up with her own name. Not needing to be said was his distaste for the word as he would always associate _Abba_ with Eli David. His daughter may be his grandchild, but Tony was no part of him in any way. He suddenly thought of Ducky laughing about that show…what was it? Oh yeah, "Downton Abbey". The poor grandfather was humiliated to be called "Donk" by his eldest granddaughter. Ducky of" course also thought it absurd and Tony now worried over what strange label Tali could think up to call him…

He sighed over his silly thoughts, taking Tali out of the stroller so she could walk around. "Ima." He said firmly, smiling even though his eyes were moist. "She will always be Ima, Tali. Just as I will always be Daddy." She hugged his legs and looked up at him, the love and adoration in her eyes overwhelming him. There was no way she could show so much love to a man she barely knew; Ziva had done a wonderful job making sure that Tali knew her father as a person, not just as a picture, and for that he would always be grateful.

He walked her through the house, pointing out where he and Ziva had sat and talked about…things. How they stood by the window and Tony had convinced her to write some new "wills" on her list. He stood at the entrance to the bedroom, just the same as he had remembered it. Those last few days together had been stressful and full of sorrow and for Tony, a sense of futility; but he would always remember the love they had shared as he spoke to her of the future, her resolve wavering but in the end remaining steadfast. He put Tali on what he considered their "marital bed", for in truth Tony had fully committed himself to Ziva David even though the words had not been voiced. As he watched her eyes start to droop, he sat silently, trying to make sense of the past, the present and the future.

When he left Israel, Ziva had made him promise to not contact her for a while, to let her take the lead on things, and he had reluctantly agreed. He hadn't heard from her for three agonizing months when he got a post card from Malta of all places. Schmeil was doing research there and had asked Ziva to join him as his assistant and for a change of scenery. He frowned as he remembered the card. She had certainly known she was pregnant by then, yet none of the letters he had just read through asked if he received the postcard or mentioned Malta or Schmeil, until that last one.

And he had written her back, taking it as an invitation that communication could now commence but she was calling the shots regarding the form it would take. He didn't want to appear as desperate as he felt, so Tony had waited before he responded to her communication. He had eventually reciprocated by sending her a postcard from Marseilles, which he had bought in the airport before he headed into the local NCIS office and all of that craziness ensued. His words were light and he took great pains to hide how messed up he was since she had left. Obviously he hadn't mentioned the pregnancy since he knew nothing about it. She never questioned his lack of inquiry and now he wondered if she had ever received it. He tried to remember the return address, where he had mailed his card; he sighed in frustration at his lack of recall but he knew if wasn't the farmhouse where Ziva resided with Tali, where Ziva…

Tony had no idea that place ever existed, so he must have mailed all of his communications to Ziva to either here or her PO Box in Tel Aviv; and he supposed any efforts by the rest of the team also went to that address. He tried to remember what else he had actually received from Ziva during their separation… _ah yes_! He next received a birthday card, which he now realized was not too long after the time Tali had been born. There was no note included, just a simple "Happy Birthday, Love Ziva" scrawled inside. He wondered if she felt she couldn't include Tali in the sentiment, a thought that made him sad. In return, he sent her a jokey card a few weeks later, complaining about "McGoo" but he refrained from telling her about the new girl. He wasn't ready yet to admit that Ziva would not be returning so in his mind her position was still open.

He didn't hear anything for a while, so he sent her a birthday card in November. By January, Tony and Zoe were dating steadily, and Tony thought back to that moment in October of 2014 when Abby had demanded that he let go of Ziva; and he had reluctantly made the effort to put all thoughts of Ziva aside and he put her, and her Star of David necklace in his desk drawer and closed it shut. That made Tony wonder again just how much Abby knew about what Ziva had been going through with Tali and he shook his head at her duplicity and lies if she had indeed known the truth.

Tony's eyes stared blankly at the bare, plastered wall; wondering why he had received those few, cherished communications from Ziva when the letters, _those important letters_ , had been held. The first postcard held the key: it was mailed from Malta and not the tiny post office in the village that woman controlled. He tried to think where the other cards had been mailed from but gave up. He had received them, not knowing what he had been denied. Ziva had mentioned when they parted that she would be moving around a bit, but never really said where she would be at any particular time. But the letters were an enigma: why did this woman prevent them from being delivered? How could she possibly know what they were about or did she also read them? No, Tony shook his head. He could tell that they had not been tampered with. For whatever reason, this Irena Katz woman refused to send on the correspondence of Ziva David and held it hostage in a small room.

Tony had already contacted Orli and requested that she meet with him tonight when he and Tali had returned to the hotel. As soon as he saw the letters he felt Mossad had to be involved. Whether or not this Katz woman was Mossad he doubted Orli would admit, but he needed answers and wasn't going to listen to any more of her vague responses.

Tony rubbed his face, disbelief at what had happened still overwhelming him. Taking one last look at his sleeping daughter, he left the room and stepped out onto the patio; the same patio where he was sitting when he had been contacted by Gibbs and McGee, lying about his success in finding Ziva. They knew he was lying; well, _Gibbs_ knew. But he didn't call him on it, and for that Tony would always be grateful. Despite his earlier desire to not talk to anyone, he now felt the need to speak to someone who understood what he was going through. Taking out his cell phone, he did a quick check of the time in DC and made his call.

 **NCIS- Bullpen**

McGee let the phone ring for several times before he could finally pick it up. "Special Agent Timothy McGee" he answered distractedly, his thoughts on his computer at the moment.

"McWorkaholic, put that keyboard down and relax for a minute." Tony's words filtered through to McGee's brain and his surprise at hearing from his former colleague quickly morphed into pleasure.

"Tony! This is a surprise; I didn't expect to hear from you so soon." McGee's demeanor turned serious and he looked around. "Did you find something?" He had lowered his voice to keep the conversation away from prying ears. He was alone at the moment, a rare occurrence considering the growing number of agents Gibbs was intent on adding to the team.

Tony leaned back into the chair, trying to decide how to answer that question. He decided honesty would serve him best. "I found…I found that there are a lot more questions than there are answers, Tim." He sighed loudly, sure McGee could hear it on his end. "Look, I got your texts…and Abby's. Not quite ready to handle Abby just yet, so keep this call on the down low, ok?" Tony decided to not mention his concerns regarding Abby and Ziva, as Tim wouldn't have a clue about it in the first place, he was certain.

Tim nodded knowingly, thinking he understood exactly where Tony was coming from. "You got it, Tony. Where are you?"

Tony glanced around, his eyes stopping at the doorway where Ziva had stood as he spoke to Gibbs and McGee that October afternoon. "Where am I? I'm at the scene of the crime, as it were. The first crime, that is. I'm at the house in Beer Sheva." Tony knew that McGee would understand exactly what he was referring to, but forgot that he also thought that was the place Ziva had been when the explosion occurred.

"Isn't that where Ziva…I mean, wasn't that the place…" Tony cut him off since he was having such a hard time even getting the words out.

"I case of mistaken identity, Tim; or in this case, residence. Apparently our little Ninja owns at least one more home than I was aware of. This place…I guess I'll always think of it as _ours_." Tony sounded so wistful that Tim sat back in his chair. An awkward silence ensued so Tim tried to change the subject.

"How's Tali doing? Are you having any problems handling her on your own?" Tim had been amazed at how good Tony had actually been doing taking care of a completely dependent little person. Tony had no experience with siblings and Tim wasn't sure if he had even ever held a baby before…

"Tali is doing much better than her father." The deeper intonation of Tony's voice brought McGee back up, knowing his earlier comments were a façade. Tony sighed deeply. "It's a lot to take in, to see these places, knowing she was there." He cleared his throat and took a sip of the drink he had brought with him. "I did meet with Orli. She finally admitted that she had lied about Tali being pulled from the house, but she wouldn't back down about Ziva."

Tim frowned at the new information. He didn't see the point of lying about how Tali was saved from the fire, but he also didn't think he should ask for details, especially since it appeared that the "Ziva is dead" mantra was still the accepted outcome. Not knowing what else to say, he muttered the standard response. "I'm sorry, Tony", wincing at how insincere it sounded.

"Me too, kid." Tony eyed the rows of olive trees, remembering where he and Ziva stood as he asked her to come home with him. The last thing he would do before he left with Tali would be to dig up the box Ziva had buried; the box that contained her list of "I Wills". It was something he wanted Tali to have, and he admitted to himself, it was something he needed as well.

"I'm meeting with Orli tonight back at the hotel in Tel Aviv. I've come into possession of a bunch of letters that Ziva wrote over the past years that _shockingly_ never got delivered to their intended recipients; you, Gibbs and Abby included." The sarcasm and anger in Tony's voice was evident and Tim cocked an eyebrow at this new information.

"Really? And you think Orli had something to do with it?"

"Orli, Mossad…what's the difference? This may be one thing I can get an answer on. The woman at the post office disappeared the day of the attack, Irena Katz…" He could hear Tim typing furiously on the keyboard.

"Nope, nothing comes up. I can put out an international BOLO if you want, Tony." McGee waited patiently for a response but Tony shook his head.

"Let me talk to Orli first. She may have the answers we need without jumping through any hoops, although I'm not holding my breath. Do you have anything on your end?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Tony realized that he was no longer privy to the goings on at NCIS. Fortunately, Tim forgot that minor detail and let out his frustrations on his former Senior Field Agent.

"Not unless you call a wild goose chase trying to figure out why anyone would be using an old code that no one had never heard of in the first place! It's…" Tim lowered his voice, realizing he was getting a bit too loud in his annoyance. "It's frustrating, Tony. Gibbs and Vance are looking to me to figure this out but I've never seen anything like this before. _No one has_. It doesn't even make sense: just some drawings and meaningless words." His exasperation could be heard loud and clear. Tony was sympathetic, but there really wasn't anything he could do to make him feel better, except to try to make him laugh and feel less sorry for himself.

"Well, at least you never had to decipher the crazy code Ziva came up with. After Gibbs went to Mexico, we spent a lot of time together. Oh…I guess you didn't know that." Tony looked slightly chagrined at his and Ziva's clandestine meetings to get to know one another better outside of the office. "Anyway, she showed me the code she and Jenny used when they were on their op in Cairo. It looked like something a fifth-grader would make up." Tim by now realized that Tony was on a roll and let him speak. He returned to his computer, offering an occasional "uh huh" and "really" at appropriate intervals.

"I used to tease her by leaving my own coded messages on her desk. I remember this one I left that had me…I was a pony drinking a cup of tea…get it? Pony, tea…Tony; that's how crazy this code was." He didn't wait for a response. "So anyway, here is this tea-drinking pony and a big sun up in this tree. Get it? _Tony and Ziva, sittin' in a tree…_ " His sing-song voice paused at the silence on the other end and Tony wondered briefly if the connection had been lost. "Ok, so I guess you don't get it."

"Tony! Did you say a sun?" McGee abruptly cut him off. As soon as he heard Tony describe his silly code for Ziva, alarm bells went off in his head. Tony frowned at the question.

"Yeah, McDeaf. Ziva's code for herself was a big sun, you know, for her name: Ziva means brilliance you know; and with a triangle inside. Why?" McGee was looking around frantically, hoping Gibbs had miraculously appeared.

"Tony, what else do you remember about this code Ziva used? Was there a candy cane?" At that, Tony burst out laughing.

"A candy cane? Oh, McIhavenoartistictalent. That wasn't a candy cane; it's a shepherd's crook, you know. For Jenny Shepard." Suddenly, Tim's question had new meaning, a meaning that caught Tony right in the solar plexus.

"Did the sun have an upright or upside down triangle inside of it?" Tony's voice had lowered to what Tim referred to his "Adult Tony Voice". It was serious, it was no-nonsense and every time he heard it, he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Just as it was doing at this very second.

"Uh…upside down. Tony, are you saying this is Ziva's code? That's impossible! It was just left, well it was found about…" Tim suddenly shut up, not sure what he was able to relay to the former agent, and frankly, he didn't want Tony to go off on some mission on his own because here was possible evidence that Ziva may have actually survived the attack. "I have to go, Tony." He suddenly blurted out, but Tony was having none of it.

"Don't you dare cut me out of this McGee!" Tony hissed. "This is Ziva we're talking about. If nothing else, it may give us more clues to the bastards that did this. Don't you walk away from me." Tony was angry and desperate. Finally, a thread he could hang onto. His mind was racing at the possibilities this newfound message could mean. Or it could just be an old message that had just been located…at that his shoulders sagged for getting his hopes up, and he felt remorse at yelling at the Junior…oops! _Senior_ Field Agent for not giving in to him.

"I'm sorry, Tim." Tony's voice was tired and emotional and McGee was conflicted. He didn't know how much he was allowed to say to Tony on this. Up until this moment, it had nothing to do with Ziva, therefore Tony would have no reason to know anything about it. Except for Tim's big fat mouth.

"Tony, I need to talk to Gibbs and Vance, ok? I don't know what this means, but I can't say anymore right now, I'm sorry." He winced at the tirade he expected in return but was only answered by Tony's much more quiet words.

"I get that Tim, I do. And no, I'm sorry, really. I can't think of any good reason Vance would read me in on this, except I have seen it before. Listen, I'll be back at the hotel around seven. Orli will also be there. Maybe saying Mossad will be on the other side of the table will give Vance an incentive to do a video chat with me. She may know something more about it, since Ziva used it in 2004 while on a joint Mossad/NCIS mission." Tony chewed on his lower lip, anxious to learn more about this development but cognizant of the fact that he was no longer part of the team. For the first time he wondered if should have taken a leave of absence while he sorted things out, rather than walking away without looking back.

McGee took a deep breath, wanting to assure Tony but also not wanting to give him false promises. "No matter what Vance decides, I'll let you know the outcome, Tony. You have my word. I won't leave you hanging." Tony closed his eyes and nodded, knowing there wasn't much more he could do at this point.

"Thanks, Tim. I appreciate it; I mean that." He cocked his head at a small noise from the bedroom, following by the pattering of tiny feet and a sweet voice calling out "DADDY!" Tony caught sight of Tali as she ran past the opening and then out of view.

"Whoops! Gotta' go, McGee. Tali is on the run." He ended the call and immediately got up and took off after his rambunctious daughter. He looked around and saw her trying to open the front door, all the while calling out for "Daddy". His heart clenched, still astounded by the love this little girl brought him. She turned at his call, still not quite awake from her afternoon nap, he light curls tousled about her face. With open arms and a huge grin, she ran toward her father.

McGee stared at his phone, taken aback by Tony's abrupt sign off. He shook his head at how completely different the life of Tony DiNozzo was, and he admitted to himself that he was slightly envious. He and Delilah had not spoken of children at this point, and he hadn't proposed yet…

"McGee! What's up?" Gibbs strode into the bullpen, noticing the odd look on his Senior Field Agent's face. McGee looked up in surprise, his own personal thoughts dissipating at once.

"Gibbs! I was just talking to Tony. Well…" McGee felt the need to explain a bit further at Gibbs' expression. "I mean…Tony just called and well…he happened to mention that Ziva used to have a code. Gibbs…" Tim typed a few characters and the enigmatic code appeared on the huge flat screen.

"Gibbs…this is _Ziva's_ code. Tony knows what it means." McGee watched Gibbs stand in front of the plasma, looking at the code with new and curious eyes.

"Ziva's code." Gibbs' voice was quiet, almost flat. McGee could see the wheels turning in his head and McGee recalled a bit more that Tony told him.

"Well, yes…and Director Shepard's. This was the code they used in Cairo, when…" he stopped when Gibbs whirled on him, the question and pain on his face causing the younger agent to flinch.

"How did Tony know we were looking at the code in the first place, McGee?" Gibbs looked at him squarely in the face, even as McGee knew that was not what was really on his mind. At the mention of Jenny, he could see the change in his demeanor. Tim didn't think Gibbs was a part of that op, but then he knew next to nothing about Gibbs' undercover experience all those years ago.

McGee swallowed hard, preparing for the wrath he was sure Gibbs was about to rain down upon him. "Uh, well…Tony was, you know talking and he asked how things were…and I…kind of forgot that he…anyway, I guess I kind of said something…" Gibbs listened closely as McGee haltingly explained his lack of discretion, but Gibbs couldn't bring himself to slap him down.

Gibbs' gut was churning, and he worried about Tony and what this could mean. _"Rule #39."_ He thought to himself, and glanced up toward the Director's office. He realized that McGee was still stuttering his apology for mentioning it to Tony and for the first time he truly missed his former Senior Field Agent.

"Forget it, McGee. We got some answers. I'll talk to Vance and see about contacting DiNozzo. He said Director Elbaz would be with him seven p. m. their time?" Gibbs looked at his watch. That would be noon for them; four hours from now and plenty of time to get things set up.

McGee watched Gibbs ascend the stairs to get the ball rolling and sank back into his chair, exhausted by the exchange. "What's up with you?" McGee whipped his head over to Ziva's… _oops_ …Bishop's desk. He hadn't even noticed her return and quickly assumed an air of indifference to hide his inner turmoil.

"Nothing Bishop, just working on some reports. I think Reeves was looking for you." He had seen the way she perked up when the Brit was around and thought he would be good excuse to get rid of her for a while more. "He's with Abby." As expected, Bishop feigned a disinterest but immediately headed for the elevator. Tim rolled his eyes and rubbed his head, feeling a headache coming on. He had thought that things were finally starting to settle from the upheaval they had all been subjected to, but he now had a feeling a new eruption was about to begin.

 **So, another answer to the puzzle: the sun is Ziva and the crook is Jenny. It will be explained more in the next chapter. I know now that the Beer Sheva home was the one destroyed on the show, but for the reasons Tony gives in this chapter, I'm glad I made the mistake and kept it intact. I refuse to believe that Tony never contacted Ziva after she left, so I added the bit about the postcards, etc. Just a slight dig to the growing number of new cast members. And yes, that will always be Ziva's desk. Thanks again for your support and wonderful reviews.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for the delay, things are too busy for me right now. Congrats to Celestrial Moon for getting the reference to Malta in Chapter Seven (it's where Cote filmed "The Dovekeepers"). This was going to be a super long chapter, but I admit I am struggling to pull it together. I kept going off on tangents, which I thought were kind of interesting myself, but kept me away from the story at hand. So instead I found an acceptable breaking point and split this chapter so you could have something now. Thanks for your patience, I truly appreciate it.**

 **Hopefully things will move much quicker now. It's building and it will happen. The only question is when and how.**

" _ **Forget it, McGee. We got some answers. I'll talk to Vance and see about contacting DiNozzo. He said Director Elbaz would be with him seven p. m. their time?" Gibbs looked at his watch. That would be noon for them; four hours from now and plenty of time to get things set up.**_

 _ **McGee watched Gibbs ascend the stairs to get the ball rolling and sank back into his chair, exhausted by the exchange. "What's up with you?" McGee whipped his head over to Ziva's…oops…Bishop's desk. He hadn't even noticed her return and quickly assumed an air of indifference to hide his inner turmoil.**_

" _ **Nothing Bishop, just working on some reports. I think Reeves was looking for you." He had seen the way she perked up when the Brit was around and thought he would be good excuse to get rid of her for a while more. "He's with Abby." As expected, Bishop feigned a disinterest but immediately headed for the elevator. Tim rolled his eyes and rubbed his head, feeling a headache coming on. He had thought that things were finally starting to settle from the upheaval they had all been subjected to, but he now had a feeling a new eruption was about to begin.**_

Disclaimer: So disclaimed

Hiding In Plain Sight- Chapter Eight

 **Paris, France**

Ziva took another sip of the strong, black coffee, the remains of her almond-glazed croissant scattered about the colorful ceramic plate. She looked around and smiled, pleased she had found the little café, as if by design. She happened upon it when she had first arrived, searching for an acceptable domicile to lay low in as she planned her next move. Now a month later, she was a regular and welcomed with a free cup by the owner when she arrived every morning at eight a.m., her punctuality a trait that was apparently ingrained and unstoppable even by injury. She practiced her French with the elderly woman, whose jovial demeanor brought some light into the darkness Ziva found herself thrust into.

She ran her hand over the table top. It was so strange: it wasn't just the café, but this particular table drew her in, called to her. She felt a sense of comfort, a sense of familiarity while sitting in the morning sun that she couldn't explain but accepted. She liked the place, she kept going there. Period. That was all there was to it.

She looked up as the sound from a motorcycle came close to her. No, it was not a motorcycle, it was one of those…what were they called? Oh, yes. A scooter…a _Vespa_. The pale blue machine put a smile on her face and she looked up as the driver slowed to a stop just inches from her. A woman with dark hair ran over from the opposite curb and joined the driver by grabbing his waist and settling herself behind him. The man turned toward Ziva and smiled wide, his dark sunglasses hiding his eyes. Ziva felt a shock of recognition as a myriad of blurred images bombarded her mind: sitting at this table, a wide handsome smile, climbing behind this mysterious man and feeling a sense of joy that was so foreign to her that Ziva almost gasped.

She brought her hand to her temple as dizziness threatened to overcome her, the beginnings of a headache coming on. These disorienting episodes were coming more frequently and she realized now that she was probably having memory flashes of her now blank slate of the last twelve years of her life. That smiling face, an occasional glimpse of hazel-green eyes: that was her most frequent image. This mysterious man was obviously important in her life…or at least frequently in it. She was surprised that there seemed to be one particular male that she was so closely associated with. She didn't consider that it was work related since all of her "memories" that she had experienced to date were clearly of a more personal nature. Still, she couldn't quite label what she thought he might be to her. Except…she felt an overwhelming sense of love and sorrow every time his face appeared in her thoughts. She shook her head to clear such thoughts. It was important, she knew that. But she needed to start with what she _did_ know. And that was her last memory of what she was doing and who she was doing with… _Jenny Shepard_ , _NCIS_.

 **Tel Aviv, Israel- Evening at Ben Yahuda Apartments**

"I do not understand what I am supposed to be seeing here, Tony." Orli Elbaz looked at the former NCIS agent with a perplexed expression. "I can see that these are letters from Ziva…letters that she wrote and mailed to you. This is why you wanted to see me? To show me these letters?" Tony held onto his immediate desire to roll his eyes at her seeming inability to see the damning evidence in front of her. She was Mossad, for God's sake. Nothing gets by Mossad…or so he has been told ad nauseam. He took a deep breath to keep his voice even and in control.

"You led me to believe that Ziva didn't want me to know she was pregnant; that she didn't want to tell me about Tali, at least just yet." Orli watched his face, nodding in agreement to the facts as stated.

"Yes, we both know how independent and self-reliant Ziva was. She didn't want to burden you, to take you away…"

"That's bullshit and you know it!" Tony's whispered explosion dripped with venom, causing Orli to pull back in alarm. Unlike the last time she was present, Tali was awake and playing quietly with some puzzles Orli had brought her. Tony glanced at his daughter, sighing softly in relief that she had not heard his outburst. He looked at Orli, only slightly apologetic.

Orli eyed him shrewdly, trying to decipher what was going on in his mind at the moment. Taking a look toward the child, she leaned in closer so she would not have to raise her own voice. "I can assure you, _former_ Agent DiNozzo, that it is not _bullshit_ as you say. Ziva _told_ me she kept the pregnancy from you. Ziva _told_ me that she kept Tali's birth from you to protect you from leaving NCIS and giving up the life you loved." By invoking his former title, Orli played the Director card as a not so subtle reminder to Tony that he was treading on thin ice to be accusing the Director of Mossad of… _anything_. Tony dipped his head slightly in acknowledgment but he wasn't going to back down.

"The life I loved…more than her and Tali?" Tony responded, his voice hollow. He sighed deeply and grabbed the letters, stacking them neatly and then putting them aside. "Except, she did try to tell me, Orli." He pointed to the letters. "These are all from Ziva, telling me she was pregnant, that we were having a girl, when Tali was born, her first birthday…" Tony's voice caught and he looked away, embarrassed to be so emotional in front of this woman he could not trust to say was a friend.

Orli's eyes widened in shock at each of Tony's pronouncements, reaching out to touch one of the envelopes in front of her. "I do not understand, Tony. If Ziva sent you these letters, why did you say you did not know about Tali? Why didn't you drop everything to be with Ziva, whom you profess to love and yet you allowed her to go through this alone?" Now Orli was angry at what she considered to be Tony's duplicity. But Tony only shook his head, too tired to take the bait.

"I never received them, Orli. Ziva may have mailed them, but they were never sent on." Orli's wide eyes now narrowed, suspicion mirrored in her expression.

"Then how did you get them? Where did you find them?" Orli glanced again at Tali, who looked up at that moment and gave her a big grin. "Ziva would be so happy to see you two together right now." Her switch in gears was sudden and Tony felt a bit of disorientation in the direction the conversation was now taking. He wondered if Orli had purposely changed the subject, knowing where Tony was now going with the letters and why he wanted to see her. It almost worked.

 _Almost._

"These…" Tony picked up the letters again, fanning them out for Orli to see. "I was given these yesterday, by a very nice gentleman who _just happened_ to have taken over the local post office. A job he got because the woman who used to run it suddenly disappeared…on May 10th." Orli flinched slightly at the date and Tony nodded, knowing she understood the significance.

"This woman's name is Irena Katz. Ring a bell, Orli?" Tony stared straight into the face of his guest, waiting to see if she would try to lie her way out of it or admit her guilt. Orli sat back and stared out the sliding glass door, her posture tense. Tony sat back as well, watching her. He wasn't sure what she was thinking at the moment but he could tell that she was unnerved a bit.

She took a deep breath and fingered one of the letters. "This is distressing news to me, Tony. I had no idea…" She stopped and took a sip of her ever present tea. Tali got up from the floor and trotted over to Tony, showing him one of the colorful puzzle pieces. Tony smiled and picked up his daughter, sitting her on his lap. He listened intently as Tali babbled about the piece, waving it in front of his face. He rested his chin on her head and held her close, bringing tears to Orli's eyes. She watched father and daughter interact, amazed at how natural and perfect it all was. And yet, none of it was natural and it certainly was not perfect.

Tony glanced up as he sensed she was about to speak again. She took a deep breath and gave Tali a loving look. "Tony, I had no idea Ziva had written these letters to you. What I said to you in Washington…what I said she told me; that is what happened from my point of view. But seeing these now…" She clasped her hands tightly, placing them on the table in front of her. "I know the name Irena Katz but I never met her. Eli…Eli had employed her on many occasions to report things to him and to perform tasks that he as Director could not. Oh, I do not mean that she was Mossad, as she most definitely was not!" Tony sensed an underlying emotion under Orli's words and he began to wonder what else this mysterious woman may have been to Eli David.

"I do know that many, many years ago…before Ziva left us and went to NCIS…Eli had her mailed monitored from a small post office near the family farmhouse, this same place you received these letters." Orli shook her head in sadness. "I cannot believe that woman continued after Eli's death. Ziva of' course was in the United States for many years; so many that I would think she considered the job to be finished. Once Ziva returned though…" She left her thoughts hanging as Tony tried to make sense of what he had just heard. She smiled ruefully. "Despite his desire, even Eli David could not control everyone and everything. But his hand extended far beyond Mossad headquarters. He often encouraged Ziva to stay at that farmhouse, knowing any mail she sent, or received, would be monitored. It is such a sad thing." She shook her head.

 _Eli David?_ Even in death he continued to mess up his life! He kissed Tali's temple, and put her down. "Go play, Punkin. Daddy's right here." He watched the child trot back to her large puzzle, chuckling as she lay on her stomach with her head propped up by her hands as she admired her handiwork. Convinced his daughter was occupied, he turned back to Orli, his expression pained.

"Did Eli really hate me that much?" The question was so quiet Orli almost didn't hear it. She sighed, a great sadness threatening to overtake her. She shook her head, and reached out to touch Tony's hand tentatively.

"Hate is such a strong word, Tony; although Eli was certainly capable of the emotion. He hated many people and many things. Mostly he hated losing control over the things in his life; over Mossad, over his family…"

"Especially Ziva." Tony finished, rubbing the back of his neck in frustration.

Orli nodded. "Especially Ziva. She was his only surviving daughter. But Eli did not hate you, Tony." Tony looked up in surprise at that. "No, Eli did not hate you; he was _afraid_ of you."

Tony slumped in his chair, wondering what else could come at him. He was being bombarded by so many facts, half-truths and out-right lies that he was beginning to wonder how much more he could take. Even so, he knew he had to see this through, to find the final truth. To understand why the letters had been held all these years.

Orli watched Tony's posture sag and felt pity for what he was going through. She spoke his name softly and glanced toward Tali. Tony followed her gaze and smiled tiredly at his now sleeping child. Her face was smashed into the puzzle, soft snores coming from her pink mouth. He chuckled softly as he rose from his chair to pick up his slumbering child and put her to bed. "Like mother, like daughter." He quipped as he pulled away a puzzle piece that had stuck to her cheek, recalling the time when Ziva had fallen asleep at her desk and had woken with a start, grimacing as Tony had pulled the attached sheet of paper from her face.

He gently undressed the sleeping toddler and lay her in the crib, covering her with a soft blanket. He smoothed the cotton throw, shaking his head sadly. "It's so unfair, you know? To Tali…to lose her mother…to be thrust into the care of a guy she doesn't know, not really." Tony took a deep breath. He hoped with every fiber of his being that Tali would never remember this time of her life. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Tali's head and then returned to his seat. His finger rubbed at the condensation from his own drink, and he worried briefly about water damage to the furniture. As if he didn't already have enough to worry about…

He shook away his wandering thoughts and brought his gaze back to Orli, who had been watching him silently as he struggled with the specter of Eli David.

"So…would you care to explain why Eli David was afraid of me?" Tony's tone was sarcastic and disbelieving. He didn't think Eli had been afraid of anything, certainly not an American Agent he could have killed at the twitch of a finger.

"Because of Ziva, Tony. You should be able to see that. Actually at first, it was all of you: NCIS, the United States. It held an appeal for Ziva that was distasteful and alarming to Eli. It started in 2004, when Ziva joined forces with an NCIS agent." Tony sat up at that, recalling the code McGee had told him about; Ziva and Jenny's code. He realized he hadn't been contacted by Vance and wondered if McGee had been unsuccessful in convincing him of the call or if was just delayed.

Orli did not notice his sudden lack of attention and kept talking. "Ziva was…different after that op. I cannot describe it myself as Ziva kept as far away from me as physically possible during that period." Orli shrugged, sad that their relationship had been so strained for those years. "But I do remember Eli worrying that she was going to try to leave Mossad, that Ziva no longer wanted to be Kidon, to be the sharp end of the spear. He thought the NCIS agent had filled her head with silly promises of life in America and Ziva had fallen for it."

Orli stood up and walked over to the sliding glass door, watching the city lights twinkle was they came on one by one. "Ziva fought long and hard to convince her father that she needed the break, that it was becoming too much. In the end it was the Director who acquiesced, not the father. But the condition was horrifying and brutal."

"She had to kill Ari. That was the price of her admission to stay and become the NCIS Liaison." Tony of' course knew that Ziva, and not Gibbs, had been the one to fire the fatal shot. That Ari had been her own half-brother was something he had to work at to understand how she could go through it. Ziva had reluctantly talked to him about it, years later. But this was not the way she presented it. He frowned when he saw Orli shaking her head.

"Yes, those were Eli's orders; but Ziva did not exactly carry them out." Tony looked confused at this, since she had in fact killed Ari. "Tony, Eli knew that Ari had killed your Agent Todd, but Ziva was not made aware of this. Her orders were to kill Ari, to instill a sense of trust with Gibbs and maybe the rest of the team as well. But Ziva told me later that she wasn't going to do it, she couldn't kill her only brother and at first she didn't believe he did this act. It was only after he had admitted to Gibbs that he had killed Agent Todd and listening to him did she realize that he had gone rogue and needed to be eliminated. The fact that it was her was irrelevant. So in the end, she followed her father's orders and was allowed to join NCIS. But the act was not intentional by Ziva to instill a false sense of trust with Agent Gibbs."

Orli ran her fingers over the fabric of the drapes. "Ziva blossomed while at NCIS. Not just as an agent but personally as well. Eli was not pleased with the changes he saw whenever she came home for a visit, and slowly began to sabotage her stay in America. Remember that little Iranian intervention after Agent Gibbs went to Mexico?" Tony's head jerked up at that.

"Wait a minute…are you saying Eli David orchestrated that shit storm that came raining down on Ziva?" Tony was shocked and livid that her father would put her at such risk. It was sheer luck that she hadn't also been killed in the initial explosion, and then the house where she and Gibbs had been, blown to smithereens only minutes after they vacated it…

Tony's mind went back to that time; when he was team leader, Gibbs was retired and he and Ziva…well, he and Ziva had embarked on a bit of extracurricular activity. It had been an extremely pleasant summer, from Tony's point of view. He had at first been angry that Ziva had not contacted him immediately and instead had called Gibbs. After all was said and done, Ziva had gone to his apartment and explained the details that the others were not privy too. How Officer Bashan had revealed she and Tony had been under surveillance, and she was questioned regarding her activities with him. She assured him that she had not answered any of the questions but the photos had instilled a sense of fear into her, a fear for his safety. She wasn't convinced initially after her meeting at the Embassy that the whole thing might not be a set up to get him killed. And so, she reached out to Gibbs to keep Tony safe. And in the end, Gibbs had returned, Tony was unceremoniously sent back to the Senior Field Agent desk, and Ziva drew back, all because of her father and the threat that had been received.

Orli watched him as he contemplated this reveal. She had no intention of enlightening him as to all of the machinations of Eli David, but she felt compelled to share another tidbit. "Eli was the one who told your Director Shepard that Rene Benoit had a daughter; a daughter who live in Washington. I am sure you are quite familiar with the result of that intelligence." Tony's face went pale and he stood up abruptly and started pacing.

 _What the hell?_ Tony's hatred for Eli David reached new heights in that moment, and his sorrow for the life Ziva had been forced to live began to overwhelm him. He quickly gathered himself, not wanting to get off track from the subject and issues at hand, and wondered if that had indeed not been Orli's intent. He turned toward her, his eyes burning with distrust.

"Why are you telling me these things? Now? I want to know about Ziva and you are taking a little walk down memory lane with me." He returned to the table and sat down, his chair creaking slightly from his effort. Orli's face remained impassive, unwilling to take any responsibility for his discomfort.

"You asked about how Eli felt: about you, about NCIS. I am sharing this with you, to help you to understand the things he did." She shrugged her shoulders, not too concerned if he would come to any understanding or not.

"Eli orchestrated many things, for one end game: to keep Ziva for himself, for Mossad, for Israel. He created scenarios that would bring her home, he created diversions for you, to stay away from Ziva. He inflicted Michael Rivkin on her, as well as arranging for Ray Cruz to be at hand at the most convenient moment." Tony again sat up at that, stunned at this revelation. He knew Rivkin had been purposely partnered with Ziva and ordered to seduce her. He got some satisfaction at recalling it was him who forced the admission out of Eli, but that satisfaction evaporated as Tony recalled the subsequent events and a sudden horrifying thought came to him: had Eli sent Ziva on that doomed mission that almost killed her because Tony had revealed his true nature to his daughter? He got up again and turned quickly away, a sudden impulse to burst into tears threatening to overtake him. Orli frowned at his actions, not understanding what he was going through at the moment.

"Are you alright, Tony? You seem…distressed." Tony turned to her, the pain in his face evident.

"Was it my fault Eli sent Ziva to her death? Was it my fault that he…and _Mossad_ …made no effort to rescue her. Was that all because I made him show his hand and reveal the truth about Rivkin?"

 **And there you go, the best stopping place I could come up with. A little bit of angst for Tony to add to his already messed-up head. You're welcome, haha. Thanks as always for the great reviews, likes and follows. You really make my day. Life is very busy right now, so I will try to keep up with this.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks as always for the great reviews, although not as many as usual. Blame it on Labor Day, I hope. Hate to think some of you have given up on this story. Anywho…a few notes for this chapter: The time stamp for Paris, Tel Aviv and DC is to show these things are happening simultaneously, and in the instance of Tel Aviv and DC it will be obvious any way. Second, I know everyone is chomping at the bit for Tony and Ziva to be together. Patience, my friends.**

 _ **He got some satisfaction at recalling it was him who forced the admission out of Eli, but that satisfaction evaporated as Tony recalled the subsequent events and a sudden horrifying thought came to him: had Eli sent Ziva on that doomed mission that almost killed her because Tony had revealed his true nature to his daughter? He got up again and turned quickly away, a sudden impulse to burst into tears threatening to overtake him. Orli frowned at his actions, not understanding what he was going through at the moment.**_

" _ **Are you alright, Tony? You seem…distressed." Tony turned to her, the pain in his face evident.**_

" _ **Was it my fault Eli sent Ziva to her death? Was it my fault that he…and Mossad…made no effort to rescue her. Was that all because I made him show his hand and reveal the truth about Rivkin?"**_

Disclaimer: Should be mine, but aren't

Hiding In Plain Sight - Chapter Nine

 **Sorbonne, Paris, France- 7 p.m.**

Ziva sat and watched the throng of students and visitors accessing the free computer banks offered at the university, amazed at the sheer number of laptops available. As she waited for a spot to open she looked over her notes, not wanting to waste her one-hour privilege. Finally, it was her turn and she strode quickly to the available cubicle before someone else thought it should be theirs and looked over the computer, familiarizing herself with the keyboard. It was a Windows operating system, which made her sag in disappointment. She could use Windows but she was much more comfortable with the Mac system in use by Mossad. Taking a deep breath, she found a search engine she was familiar with and typed in her first query: _Jenny Shepard_.

The multitude of articles that came up in the search startled Ziva, thinking an undercover NCIS agent should not have so much notoriety. After scanning some of the headlines, she realized her mistake: Jenny Shepard had left the field and became the first woman Director of NCIS. Ziva smiled wide at her friend's accomplishment, a goal she had voiced in confidence to Ziva during their time together. She felt an enormous sense of relief that Jenny was alive and had survived that horrible explosion in Cairo. _Wait…what is this?_

Ziva's hand shook as she clicked on the video, showing a burning edifice in Georgetown. She listened without emotion as the newscaster describe the scene, noting that the home belonged to NCIS Director Jennifer Shepard and that her body had been found in the ruins. Ziva frowned at the now paused image of the flame-engulfed townhouse, shaking her head in denial.

" _That is not how Jenny died."_ She looked around, startled that she had spoken the words out loud. How did she know that? How did she know that Jenny was in fact dead and had not faked her death? Suddenly images flashed through her mind, so many that she was almost overcome by the enormity of what she was visualizing:

 _Ziva looked down at Jenny's bullet ridden body, calling out "Tony" so softly she almost didn't hear herself speak. Tony came beside her and followed her gaze. The guilt and sorrow on his face was heartbreaking…_

 _Ziva yanked open her front door and was confronted by Tony raising his gun, pointed at her. Next to him was another man, lying face down on her floor…_

 _Ziva entered the home, coming face to face with Tony. His expression was intense and troubled. "No…." she moaned as she turned to her left, seeing what she feared yet knew to be true: her father's body sitting slumped on the floor, his dead eyes unseeing. "ABBA," she screamed, bursting into tears…_

"ABBA!" Ziva sat upright, tears streaming down her face. She could feel hands on her shoulders, anxious voices coming at her.

 _"Vous êtes bien?" (Are you alright?)_

" _Puis-je t'aider?" (Can I help you?)_

" _Avez-vous besoin d'un médecin?" (Do you need a doctor?)_

Ziva startled, seeing the strangers hovering over her anxiously. She didn't realize she had shouted out in her anguish. "Merci, merci. Je vais bien." ( _Thank you, thank you. I am fine_.) She quickly grabbed her things and rushed from the building, her heart pounding and her head feeling as if it would explode. She ran as far as she could, finally collapsing on a bench at the edge of the Luxembourg Gardens. She held her head in her hands, willing her breathing to come under control and for the agonizing pain in her head to cease. After about fifteen minutes, Ziva could feel the tension in her body dissipating, her breathing more even and the headache subsiding. She sat back in exhaustion, overcome by what she had learned, and then recalled from the recesses of her memory.

 _Jenny was dead._ Although it seemed she just learned of her friend's fate, she felt a sadness but understood that she had already mourned her death and had come to terms with it. There was more to her death, she knew that; but that was not of importance at the moment.

The second image was confusing to her. She did not recognize the unconscious, perhaps dead man on her living room floor…how she knew it was her living room and not someone else's she just accepted…but the man pointing the gun at her: she recognized those eyes. And he was there with her when Jenny died. And when her father…

Ziva took in a deep breath. In her heart, Ziva knew that her father was most likely dead. Her inability to contact him was as much a death pronouncement. Still, to realize that she was witness to her father's death, if not the actual event, was troubling. She didn't recognize where they were and again, there was that man who haunted her memories. Except in none of these memories did he have that wide handsome smile and twinkling hazel green eyes, which would have been inappropriate given each circumstance. Still, she recognized him as the same man, a man who now had a name.

 _Tony._

In her memory flashes he did not speak, so she was not certain of his origins. Was he Mossad? Was he NCIS, or was he part of some other agency? It was clear that he was in the same business as she was, and at least in Jenny's case they worked together. She felt let down at that revelation, as her previous glimpses of him seemed to be of a more personal nature. With a name like Tony, she doubted he was Mossad and he didn't look Israeli anyway. She sighed in frustration, feeling as if her world was on the tip of her tongue.

The _key_ was this Tony person. She needed to find Tony.

 **Ben Yehuda Apartments, Tel Aviv- 8 p.m.**

Orli quickly rose and went to Tony's side. "Tony, you must never take the blame for Eli's actions. He blamed Ziva for _everything_. She was not sent to her death, although I cannot believe that Eli did not know that would be the likely outcome. It was a test for Ziva to prove her true allegiance; an allegiance that no longer centered on Eli and Mossad. In her heart, Ziva knew that Rivkin had been assigned to her at her father's orders to get to her, to poison her against you and NCIS, even if she was unwilling to accept it for so long. Daughters always want to believe the best about their fathers." She paused, taking a deep breath as she recalled the facts of that harrowing time, and how her own perception and feelings about Eli David were forever changed. "Ziva challenged him, questioned his motives, yes…even his love for her. And for that, for that betrayal; Eli punished her most severely." Orli gripped Tony's arm, forcing him to look at her. "No, do not ever believe you are at fault, Tony. You _saved_ Ziva's life. And for that I will be eternally grateful."

Tony's shoulders slumped. He didn't need Orli's thanks, but he needed to hear the words right then. That period was the most dark and traumatic in his life, until this moment; he didn't want to think about that time, the pain was too much to bear. He groaned and fell into the sofa, his head falling back against the soft cushions.

"It's all too much, you know?" He croaked out. "Ziva, Tali…what you're telling me about Eli and this woman. How do you live like this, because I sure as hell can't!" Realizing that he may have just insulted his invited guest, he sat up and held up one of his hands, to stave off any furious retort. "I'm sorry, that didn't really come out the way I intended." Fortunately, Orli looked more amused than offended.

"It _is_ difficult. _Life_ is difficult, Tony. We live in a difficult world. There are some things we cannot change, even though we keep trying. Eli kept trying. He was afraid that Ziva would choose you over him; _that_ was his greatest fear. _That_ was why he feared you, above all others; He saw how important you were becoming to Ziva, and that she was important to you. Yes. Eli feared _you_ because _only_ you would be the impetus for Ziva to leave his world, her world. And in the end, he failed and his greatest fear came to pass. For Ziva _did_ choose you, Tony. In the end, she chose _only_ you. I hope you believe that." Orli looked at him, her eyes dark and intense.

Tony looked at Tali, blissfully unaware of the drama unfolding around her. He rubbed his face, absently noting the growing bristles that would need attention. "I do now, Orli. Now that I have Ziva's letters, I do know how much she loved me, even if she couldn't be with me at the time."

The silence in the room as the two regarded each other was suddenly interrupted by the chime on Tony's laptop, causing both of them to startle. Tony looked at Orli, slightly panicked. "I haven't had a chance to discuss this with you, this call I was hoping to get from Vance about Ziva's code." Orli looked confused and glanced at the computer.

"Ziva's code?" She asked blankly. "What are you talking about?" Tony waved her back over to the table, as he settled himself. Taking a deep breath, he accepted the call and waited for the screen to activate. He checked his watch, noting that it was 1 p.m. in DC.

"Apparently an old code of Ziva's was discovered. No one knew who it was from or what it meant. I mentioned the code to McGee in passing and he said everyone was trying to figure out one just like it, and…Director Vance! Thank you for calling me. I know you can't share anything with me, but if there's anything I can do to help I will." Tony switched from filling in Orli as Vance's face filled the screen. The Director smiled slightly at Tony's efforts to appear perfectly happy to be left out of the loop, and didn't believe it for one second. Vance pulled back to reveal Gibbs and McGee standing nearby.

"DiNozzo, good to see you." Vance nodded. "McGee tells us you may have some insight into this mysterious code that just showed up." If Tony was disappointed that Vance got right down to business and didn't even try to exchange pleasantries, he didn't show it. He opened his mouth to speak, but Orli beat him to it.

"Excuse me, Director Vance. I am not sure that you know I am present." She didn't want any breaks in protocol or security, and Vance nodded at her reminder.

"Director Elbaz." He greeted her formally. "I was informed that you would visiting this evening. I take it then that you were not aware of this call?" Vance looked at Tony and gave him what he considered to be the stink eye. Tony grimaced slightly and ran his hand through his hair.

"I was just explaining to her about the note when you called…"

"Forget it, DiNozzo. Tell us what you know." Tony snapped his mouth shut at Gibbs' interruption, and gave the DC assemblage a puzzled look.

"Well, I don't actually _know_ anything. I was describing to McGee a code Ziva used when she was working with Jenny and he got all excited about it. I don't know about this message you are referring to." Tony felt his nerve endings tingling and spread his fingers out on the table, as if to ground him.

"Is this the message that was found in Paris? Is that what this is about?" Orli looked at Tony and then Vance. "That can't possibly have anything to do with Ziva, you know that."

Vance turned to McGee and whispered something. Tony could see McGee in the background fiddling with something. He saw a thumb's up and Vance turned his attention back to his overseas audience. "We're going to show you a copy of the message that was recently found, DiNozzo." Tony looked surprised but tried to hide it, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah, ok." The image came up on the screen and Tony fought to keep his breathing under control. He traced the drawings with his finger, lingering on the lettering. His hand stopped at the sun, with its inverted triangle, rubbing it slightly. "That's it. That's the message Ziva showed me." Tony's voice was hoarse with emotion. "It's her handwriting, her note to Jenny. How did you get this?"

The silence from his former colleagues as they conversed offside was distracting. Vance cut the sound as he discussed this new data with Gibbs and McGee regarding Tony's response, all taken aback. "That's what was so familiar about the message; Ziva's handwriting. I should have recognized it right away!" McGee broke in as soon as they went radio silent.

"Could it possibly be? She's dead. By all accounts, she's dead." Vance spoke without emotion but inside his gut was churning. He looked at his agents, still slightly shell-shocked by this new development.

"Director, we can't give DiNozzo false hope, that Ziva is still alive. The last thing we want is him running all over Paris searching for her, when it may not even be true." Gibbs broke in.

"We can't keep this from Tony." McGee argued, undeterred by the look Gibbs gave him. "If Ziva is still alive, Tony has the right to know!" Vance nodded and looked at Gibbs. Gibbs stared him down, and then backed off, nodding his head in acquiescence. Vance looked at the technician and the sound resumed.

"Sorry, DiNozzo. We had to talk offline, security reasons." Vance apologized, which worried Tony far more than anything else. He had no security clearance, so he was owed nothing regarding his being kept from such things.

"Tony, can you tell us what the message means?" Gibbs broke in, wanting to get some more information before they dropped a potential bomb shell on their unsuspecting former colleague.

"Yeah, sure." Tony eyed the message. "Well, the first drawing…what McGee described to me as a candy cane…that's a shepherd's crook. It was the symbol used for Director, I mean, Jenny Shepard. If you look at it upside down, it's a 'J'." Vance had the image inverted, revealing the mirror-image initial. "Yep, there you go. You can see the bottom loop of the 'J' is backward. That means there's a problem, the note's a warning." Tony took a swallow of his iced tea, needing to relieve the dryness of his mouth. It was so strange to be talking about this, after so many years. "The sun is Ziva's emblem. She either had an upright or inverted triangle in the middle. Up for good to go, down for all hell's broken loose."

"What's the significance of the triangle?" Vance asked, watching McGee as he took quick notes.

Tony smiled grimly. "The triangle. When combined together they make the Star of David."

Orli gasped slightly at that, looking at the message with new eyes. "We of' course were also asked about this message, to see if we could decipher it. This is not a Mossad code. I never knew Ziva used anything like this." Tony looked at her in surprise. She knew about the code? Well, of' course she did if all agencies around the world were sent a copy to identify it. Tony gave himself a mental slap on the back of the head.

"What about the message, Tony. Any idea what that means?" McGee asked, looking up from his notes. Tony peered closely at the text, clearly in his love's handwriting but rushed as if panicked. His heart panged as he thought of the duress she was under when she wrote that message. Ziva hadn't given too many details of her op with Jenny, except that it had been harrowing.

"Oh, sure. 'RB loves that smile': Right Bank, the Louvre, Mona Lisa." Tony responded easily. Ziva had rendered a version of this note to him, explaining each detail, so he knew right away what it meant. He watched the other's again go through their silent conference. McGee was typing furiously. He felt Orli tense beside him, but he was too busy watching the screen to question her change in demeanor.

As soon as the group turned back, Orli cut in. "No, you are mistaken. It is not possible. I was there that night. I was there! Ziva could not have survived. You are wrong." Tony slowly turned his head toward Orli, shock and disbelief on his face. He then gazed back to his former colleagues, who all looked vaguely uncomfortable.

"What aren't you telling me?" Tony demanded. "I get that I haven't got any security clearance any more, but you asked for my help. Now help me here."

Vance looked at both Gibbs and McGee, getting their silent support. "DiNozzo, this note was just found, actually it was found on May 16th. The drop is monitored weekly. It wasn't there the week prior." Vance let that sink in, as Tony digested this new piece of information.

Tony visibly startled, his hands shaking slightly. "What are you saying? Are you saying Ziva left this note? Sometime between the 9th and the 16th? She wasn't even there on the 9th, or the 10th. She was in Israel; she was at the farmhouse…" He stopped and looked at Orli, who shook her head at him.

"No, it is not possible." She repeated adamantly. "I was at the farmhouse that night…yes, I know I did not say that when I was in DC delivering Tali to her father. It is too much to explain right now, but you must believe me when I tell you that I was there. I was just down the road when the explosion occurred. I went back to the farmhouse. Ziva was not there. She did not survive." Orli's voice was authoritative and sharp. Tony winced at her death pronouncement, feeling the wounds open again, just when they were starting to heal.

"Director Elbaz, what can you tell us about the op Ziva and Jenny Shepard had in 2004?" Gibbs' question, seemingly out of left field, drew a puzzled frown from the Mossad Director.

"Nothing! I can tell you nothing! You should know that, Agent Gibbs!" She hissed, clearly upset by the conversation at hand.

Vance held up his hand is appeasement. "Director, we aren't asking for details of the op itself. We can look at our internal files for the report Director Shepard gave." Orli sighed in irritation.

"Then what is it you want from me? You know probably more than I do. I can certainly access our files as you can. I do not know what more I can tell you."

"Jenny said Ziva saved her life in Cairo. Is that true?" Gibbs' voice was soft, almost sad as he recalled his conversation with his former lover about this unknown Mossad entity who had been forced upon him. Tony looked surprised at that, as Ziva had talked about working with Jenny but had not shared that small tidbit. He looked sideways at Orli, to get her reaction. Orli stared hard at Gibbs, struggling internally with a desire to help Ziva but doubting she ever could. She finally sighed and sat back slightly.

"Yes, there was an explosion in the camp they were in, in Cairo. Ziva found the explosive and jumped in front of Shepard to shield her from the blast." Tony looked shocked at this revelation, as did his three former colleagues in DC.

"How did she survive?" Tony whispered, feeling sick as he thought of the trauma that must have been inflicted on her. He knew she didn't suffer any burns, as he would have seen the scars on her body. Gibbs looked thoughtful and cocked his head, causing Tony's nerves to jangle with anxiety.

"What are you thinking, Gibbs?" he asked, not sure if he really wanted to know.

"Yes, what do you hope to accomplish with this line of questioning? What does it matter what Ziva did twelve years ago? It has no bearing on today, and will still not alter the fact that Ziva is dead!" She glanced apologetically at Tony, who visibly blanched.

"Ziva was injured in the blast." Gibbs stated as fact. "What happened to her?" Orli rolled her eyes in exasperation at his tenacity.

"Yes, Ziva was severely injured. She suffered a hairline fracture to her skull as well as some other broken bones. She was in hospital for three weeks, and on desk duty for another two months after that. She was lucky she wasn't killed." Tony had to get up and refresh his drink, his hand shaking so much he slopped the beverage all over the counter. Orli glanced over her shoulder at him, and then addressed the screen, lowering her voice. "I do not see what you intend to prove with these questions."

"Sometimes…" Gibbs began hesitantly, causing Vance and McGee to look at him curiously. "Sometimes when someone has already had severe head trauma, a similar injury can cause a change in perception, confusion. Alter your reality." Tony stopped at the refrigerator as he was filling up his glass again, suddenly understanding what Gibbs was getting at. He rushed to his seat, and sat down without finesse.

"Pin Pin Pula." Tony said, nodding as Gibbs smiled grimly back at him.

Orli looked at Tony and then back to the trio across the Atlantic. "Who or what is a Pin Pin Pula?"

"Gibbs was blown up by Pin Pin Pula on the Turkish ship 'Bakir Kamir'. He, he was in a coma for a while." Tony offered in explanation to Orli, who looked appropriately concerned.

"I am glad to see that you clearly recovered from your injury, Agent Gibbs." She added unnecessarily. Gibbs took it for what it was worth.

"When I regained consciousness, I was not Gibbs in 2006; I thought I had just been injured in a blast while fighting in Desert Storm." He let that sink in while Orli frowned. Tony sat up straighter, starting to get agitated.

"Wait a minute! Are you suggesting…" Gibbs held up his hand to stop Tony from crashing and burning.

"We don't know anything just yet, Tony. But my experience after being in an explosion: with amnesia regarding the present, but only remembering facts of the past; Director, is it possible that Ziva was not killed but was actually injured in the blast and has been on the run this whole time?"

Orli gasped, covering her mouth. She shook her head, unwilling to believe it. "She was not there, I tell you. Ziva could not have been inside the farmhouse and survived. If she was outside I would have found her. I…I am sure I would have found her." Orli faltered a bit. "Besides, if Ziva is alive why hasn't she contacted me or Tony? She would never be without Tali!"

"Not if she doesn't remember her." Tony choked out, finally seeing a glimmer of hope. A hope that his living nightmare may have an ending in sight and he and Tali might actually be reunited with Ziva. "If she suffered another head injury…" Tony shuddered a bit at that thought. "Given what Gibbs' has been through it is possible that she has no memory since…" He looked up, doing the math in his head. "Since…2004? She may think she is still on the op with Jenny."

Vance looked alert at that, and noted Orli's tense posture as well. "That would explain the sudden appearance of the note. Ziva may have actually left it." They all stopped talking and considered the consequences of what they were proposing. Tony's mind was in a whirlwind, trying to digest this new, incredible possibility.

"I need to get to Paris! I knew I would find the answer in Paris!" He practically jumped out of his chair, but Orli put her hand on his arm, to settle him.

"Even if this were true, and I sincerely hope it is; Tony, where do you propose to find her? Paris is a large city. And _who_ do you expect to find? If she is the Ziva of 2004 she would just as easily kill you as kiss you." That stopped Tony for a second, his face losing a bit of color. He mentally chastised himself for thinking he would just get off of a plane and expect Ziva to rush into his and Tali's arms. Orli turned to Vance.

"We need to first confirm that Ziva is indeed alive and the one who left this note. She will have realized by now that it was not delivered to the right person, and Shepard did not contact her." She pursed her lips in thought. "Ziva's next act would have been to contact her handler. If that failed, which it should have as any number Ziva had in 2004 is no longer active; then the officer is to lay low until they are reached by Mossad. It has been now, almost three weeks since the note? I cannot imagine what Ziva must be thinking. It is possible she thinks she has been cut off from Mossad, that she is, how you say…black listed?" Orli shook her head. "Even if she was desperate enough to try to contact her father she would not be successful."

Once again, both rooms went silent as the enormity of situation became evident. Tony finally cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "I get that I am no longer an agent, and am considered to be at a disadvantage and not the number one choice to go find a Mossad Officer/NCIS Agent that has gone off the grid. But she is also a mother. That is still inside her. We just need to get her back, get our Ziva back. Only I can do that." Tony crossed his arms in front of his chest, not willing to take no for an answer. And in reality, he didn't need anyone's permission to pack up his and Tali's bags and head off to Paris and begin his own search. But he also realized the truth of what Orli said. A head injury was not something to be taken lightly. Even if they found Ziva, there was the horrible possibility that she would never get her memory back, and all of those missing years would remain… _missing_.

"First things first, DiNozzo." Gibbs voice sounding jarring against the silence. "McGee was able to secure the video feeds from the Louvre, that's what he did earlier when you interpreted the message. We'll have Abby review them tomorrow to see what she can find. She…"

"Tomorrow? What about right now!" Tony cut in harshly, and then backed off. He didn't have any say in how the resources of NCIS were being used and while this was of the utmost importance to him, finding Ziva may not be that high on the list for NCIS, which caused Tony some inner turmoil.

Gibbs sighed and mumbled an _"Ah, DiNozzo"_ which Tony understood to be his way of saying "what in the hell is wrong with you." He used it enough the past three years that Tony felt a rebuke every time it was uttered, and he felt that rebuke now. McGee broke in, sensing the tension in the room and knowing how Tony was probably feeling at the moment.

"Tony, Abby isn't here right now. She's at a conference but she'll be back tomorrow morning. I promise I'll make sure she gets these tapes asap, ok?" Tony collapsed back into his chair, once again his Probie having his back. Tony rubbed the back of his neck and nodded at Tim.

"Ok, thanks Tim. I appreciate your help." Tony didn't try to emphasize the word "your" but the raised eyebrow and slightly confused expression of Gibbs indicated the message had been sent loud and clear. Vance cleared his throat and addressed Orli.

"Director Elbaz, you've mentioned several times that you were present when the farmhouse was destroyed. Would you care now to explain yourself?" This time the rebuke was hurled from the other side, and Orli dipped her head in acceptance. As she repeated the same story she had relayed to Tony to her new audience, Tony's mind was in turmoil thinking of the possibility of Ziva actually being alive. He looked again at his sleeping daughter, and fretted over how to handle this news with her…or maybe he shouldn't say anything until they actually found Ziva alive and in the present.

 **There you go, happy Labor Day. Hope you enjoy it. A few more notes: early in the series, Ziva complained about the operating system used by NCIS, that Mossad used a "different operating system". I decided they used Mac computers, no basis in fact. Also, I have used the Sorbonne in other stories, but I have no idea if they actually have a bank of free computers available for public use, call it poetic license. Also, MW spent a brief time at the Sorbonne. And now, Ziva knows Tony's name but not who he is. Gibbs in my "Life" series is wonderful and caring. In this story he is an ass.**


	10. Chapter 10

**First; let me offer my sincere apologies for the serious delay in updating this story. September came on with a vengeance and my many hats I wear that were put in storage over the summer had to be worn again. And so, the month went by in a blink without me even thinking about fanfiction or anything fun for that matter. And then, for the whole month of October I have been having major issues with my computer, the internet and my email. It seems to finally be resolved, but I have lost all my emails and contacts which is upsetting to say the least. I have been working to rebuild what I lost and again, that had to take priority over fun stuff. I am also having a ton of issue with Microsoft, so I am hopeful I can do this.**

 **I had to take the time to re-read this story to get back into the groove; in fact, I started re-reading some of my other stories as well to get my brain to think fanfic. Thank you for hanging in there; I hope you are still here…the last review I have on record is September 9** **th** **. I will try to make this chapter worth the wait, but whatever I was thinking in early September for the next move is gone. Fair warning to Abby fans- this chapter is not a love song to her, just a head's up. There's also a lot of back and forth over the past few days on this one, so I hope everyone can follow along.**

 **Previously, on "Hiding in Plain Sight":**

" _ **Tomorrow? What about right now!" Tony cut in harshly, and then backed off. He didn't have any say in how the resources of NCIS were being used and while this was of the utmost importance to him, finding Ziva may not be that high on the list for NCIS, which caused Tony some inner turmoil.**_

 _ **Gibbs sighed and mumbled an "Ah, DiNozzo" which Tony understood to be his way of saying "what in the hell is wrong with you." He used it enough the past three years that Tony felt a rebuke every time it was uttered, and he felt that rebuke now. McGee broke in, sensing the tension in the room and knowing how Tony was probably feeling at that moment.**_

" _ **Tony, Abby isn't here right now. She's at a conference but she'll be back tomorrow morning. I promise I'll make sure she gets these tapes asap, ok?" Tony collapsed back into his chair, once again his Probie having his back. Tony rubbed the back of his neck and nodded at Tim.**_

" _ **Ok, thanks Tim. I appreciate your help." Tony didn't try to emphasize the word "your" but the raised eyebrow and slightly confused expression of Gibbs indicated the message had been sent loud and clear. Vance cleared his throat and addressed Orli.**_

" _ **Director Elbaz, you've mentioned several times that you were present when the farmhouse was destroyed. Would you care now to explain yourself?" This time the rebuke was hurled from the other side, and Orli dipped her head in acceptance. As she repeated the same story she had relayed to Tony to her new audience, Tony's mind was in turmoil thinking of the possibility of Ziva being alive. He looked again at his sleeping daughter, and fretted over how to handle this news with her…or maybe he shouldn't say anything until they found Ziva alive and in the present.**_

 **Disclaimers: So disclaimed**

Hiding In Plain Sight - Chapter Ten

 **NCIS Headquarters, Forensics Lab- June 6** **th** **, 11 a.m.**

Abby paced about the pristine lab, her expression a mixture of shock and worry. Occasionally, her procession would be halted as she peered anxiously at the flashing images on the monitor, dreading the answer that could soon present itself and throw all their lives into a turmoil of suspicion, anger and loss of trust…

 _Well, at least her life anyway._

McGee had met her upon her arrival to the Navy Yard, grabbing at her and talking a mile a minute. She had trouble understanding what had so excited the now Senior Field Agent, but as soon as he mentioned Ziva's name, she felt goosebumps rising on her pale arms and a sense of unease over what had happened during her absence. She listened in shock as Tim explained about the coded message and its new implications that it could be from Ziva.

 _Ziva could be alive?_ Abby had not been aware of the discovered note, so McGee had to explain in brief the history behind him investigating its origins, and how a simple conversation with Tony accidently brought about this new, impossible scenario. Abby at first was angry, damning Ziva for being alive and keeping it from Tony and abandoning her daughter.

"I knew she wasn't good enough for him, for any of us! Who in the hell does she think she is? When I find her, I'm going to give her a piece of my mind!" McGee stepped back in shock at the vehemence spewing from his colleague's mouth. He knew that Abby had not been happy with Ziva's decision to not return to NCIS; and that she had not personally consulted and met with Abby regarding her decision. But that was three years ago, and she seemed to have gotten over the whole thing. But then with Ziva's reported death and the surprise appearance of Tali, Abby had taken up the whole "Ziva is evil" mantra again. She was livid, _for Tony's sake_ , that she would keep his daughter from him, a selfish and inexcusable act from her point of view and made sure everyone but Tony knew how she felt about it. And to be fair, Tim had privately agreed that it was not a very nice thing for Ziva to have done, even if he didn't know or understand the extenuating circumstances. Except he now knew about the letters.

"Abby, Abby…you've got it all wrong! We all did. Ziva didn't hide Tali from Tony…she wrote him letters, a lot of letters. She told him all about Tali; before she was born and after. But he never got them. He never knew about Tali because some woman name Irena Katz held them in Israel and threw them in a box; not because Ziva didn't want Tony to know about his daughter!"

Abby stopped her tirade and stared in shock at the younger man. "What letters?" Her voice came out in a whisper, a stark contrast to her previous demeaner.

As Tim relayed what Tony had told him, Abby began to have a gnawing sense of dread of what those communications could contain. She had been fully supportive of Tony and his new role as a father; and even though she was angry at Ziva for leaving, she felt it was more important to bolster up Tony's emotions.

" _Ziva…really…loved you. I know…she told me."_

Those words, spoken in a darkened elevator, were not made up to make Tony feel better. Ziva _did_ say those words to her. Abby never offered an explanation regarding how or when Ziva said it to Abby, Tony never asked and Abby had been relieved that he hadn't called her on it.

But now, with these letters coming to light…could Ziva have brought up that conversation and possibly mentioned she had said something to Abby or even when she said it? Now alone with her racing thoughts, Abby forced herself to recall the conversation she had with Ziva that could ultimately be her undoing.

 _January 10, 2014_

 _Abby answered her cell phone on the first ring, thinking it might be McGee reporting on the condition of Delilah after that horrible drone attack. The team was shaken to the core, and the thought that Tim had just narrowly escaped being killed weighed heavily on Abby's mind. They had lost too many team members lately and she couldn't take another loss…_

" _Abby, it is not McGee…." Ziva's soft voice was hesitant, unsure if she was disturbing her former associate and whether her call would be accepted. The fact that Abby had practically yelled McGee's name into the phone told Ziva that Abby was stressed and had not even looked at the readout to see who the caller was. "If this is a bad time…"_

" _Of 'course it's a bad time, Ziva! Some of us do important work, like saving the world and our friends, and looking after them and taking care of them and…"_

" _Abby, I am sorry I bothered you. I will go now." Ziva sighed in regret but she wasn't surprised. Shortly after Tony had returned from Israel, Ziva had sent Abby a package containing a favorite scarf and a brief note of explanation. Abby had called her and they had talked, and she seemed kind of sort of ok with Ziva not returning but Ziva knew better. Abby felt abandoned and the one thing Abby always had trouble understanding was that not everything was about her._

" _No, Ziva wait! Don't hang up. I'm just…some things have happened here and things are crazy. I need a break and a distraction." Abby interrupted quickly before Ziva had a chance to hang up._

 _Ziva frowned, concern mirrored in her face. "Is everyone alright, is Tony…?"_

" _No, Tony's fine. Well, as fine as he can be considering everything he's been through the past six months." And there it was. The not so subtle jibe at Ziva leaving again._

 _Ziva took a deep breath, weighing her words carefully. "Yes, well that is why I am calling Abby. Is Tony really alright? I have tried to contact him."_

 _Abby rolled her eyes and pouted. "Leave him alone, Ziva. You've done enough to break his spirit and his heart. Why can't you just stay away since you couldn't come home? Is Tony ok? No! He's not ok, but he is getting there. He is moving on and we are happy he is moving on. He doesn't need your mind games and your petty sob stories of how awful your life is. Everyone's life is awful and you're not special, not at all." Abby took a breath, aware of the heavy silence on the other end._

 _Ziva struggled to keep the tears from falling, but with her hormone levels so high it was nearly impossible. She didn't want to fight with Abby; she didn't want to fight with anyone. She wanted to tell Tony about the baby, and let him decide what he wanted to do, if anything._

" _I am sorry you are upset with me Abby," Ziva kept her voice as even and unemotional as possible. "But I really need to talk to Tony. Has he mentioned hearing from me? I sent him a letter…"_

" _No, Tony has not said anything to me about getting a letter from you and I hope he tore it up without reading it. Leave him alone, Ziva. I'm warning you! You never cared about him, you lied to him, you played on his emotions and then you hurt him by abandoning him!"_

 _Ziva gasped as the tears began to fall silently. "You are wrong, Abby. I did care about him. I do care about him, I love him, Abby…I really love Tony. I had to make him leave, but now I need to talk to him. It is important, Abby. It…it is important."_

" _Why, so you can pretend you are coming back and then change your mind again? Or did you do something really stupid like get pregnant and now you want to come crawling back so he can take care of you?" Abby frowned as she considered her words, and the lack of response on the other end._

" _Oh God, Ziva…you aren't pregnant, are you? You can't be pregnant, that would mean you and Tony…NO! I won't have it. You leave Tony alone. If you are pregnant you got knocked up by someone else but not my Tony. Don't you dare try to pin this on him!" Abby looked wildly about the room, trying to think of anything she could say to deter Ziva from pursuing her friend._

" _Don't you ever contact him again, Ziva. He is seeing someone, he is finding he can absolutely live without you, and he doesn't deserve to be trapped by your lies. Goodbye!"_

 _Ziva stared in shock at her cell phone, the call abruptly ended on such an angry note. Now alone, she let the tears fall, sobbing into her pillow. As she finally calmed down and considered her options she came to her decision. She didn't want to trap Tony, that was never her intention. But she truly believed he deserved to know about his future child. She would not call him, but she would continue to write…and leave it up to him._

Abby stopped pacing and leaned heavily against the metal countertop. Ziva had not confirmed that she was pregnant; Abby hadn't given her the chance. But with Tali now with her father that question had been positively answered. When the baby had arrived at NCIS and Abby heard the rumors, she had to pretend that she had not had any previous knowledge of Tali's existence and in point in fact, she didn't. Even if Ziva's call wasn't about being panicked over being two weeks late and that she was just ending her first trimester, she didn't know Ziva had given birth to a girl and named her Tali; all she knew was that she had a previous conversation with Ziva in which her being pregnant was mentioned. But it wasn't confirmed! Abby felt no contradiction or conflict in not divulging this information, or in damning Ziva for not telling Tony about Tali. He didn't know about her; she never told him. Simple logic.

But she wasn't so sure the others would see it that way now with this new information, especially Tony. She had told Ziva to never contact Tony again, and with Tali's surprise arrival it appeared that she had followed orders. But with these letters…did McGee say letters or letter? Abby knew about the one letter because Ziva had mentioned it to her. She had always assumed that Tony had received it, but just didn't tell anyone about it. If she had mentioned Ziva's call to Tony at the time, and her desire to talk to him, would he have called her back? Would he have known about Tali sooner rather than later? Abby had struggled briefly with this issue after the news of Ziva's death and Tali's arrival. But since no one else was to the wiser, she didn't feel she needed to bring it up. It was all water under the bridge, right? Wouldn't make any difference now would it, except to maybe make Ziva look better, but what was the point since she was dead?

Her rationalization at her failure to tell Tony about Ziva's call shored up her belief at what a great friend she was to support Tony and Tali and she quickly inserted herself into their new lives. She helped Tony by telling him what he needed to hear, and it seemed to work and again patted herself on the back for being such a wonderful, caring friend.

But if Ziva mentioned in any one of these letters that Tony now had in his possession that she had contacted Abby at some point, Tony would ask for an explanation. And now knowing the nature of Tony and Ziva's relationship, for the first time in her life Abby wasn't positive that Tony would take her side and forgive her for not saying anything to him.

 **Paris, France- June 9** **th** **, 12 noon**

"Here we are, the finest an unemployed former Federal Agent can afford!" Tony flung open the door to the large hotel suite, which despite Tony's self-deprecating humor at his current circumstances was very nice. Anthony DiNozzo, Sr looked around the well-appointed living area, taking in the kitchenette and doors that obviously led to more than one bedroom.

Sr. eyed his son speculatively. "Just how are you affording all of this, Jr.? You refused any financial assistance from me and I know you are too young to be drawing on your pension." His voice was sincere and Tony understood that his father was concerned and not just curious.

"I'm fine, Dad. You don't need to worry. NCIS has been very good to me, and they _were_ very good to me. And I saved a lot of money over the years. Let's just keep it at that, ok?" Tony sighed as he hauled his father's luggage into the second bedroom. With the possibility of Ziva being alive, Tony needed to get out and start searching once he had some leads. And he couldn't do that while pushing a stroller with a two-year-old. He had made the call the next day after meeting with Orli and talking to the team at NCIS. He was exhausted and emotionally spent after a sleepless night of imagining every scenario in which Ziva could be found, and Tali had picked up on his mood and was as grumpy as he was.

He felt terrible that he was responsible for her unhappiness and finally decided he couldn't do it alone right now. This wasn't a family vacation after all, and now it was turning into an op, and no place for an innocent toddler. Sr. had tried to talk Tony into sending Tali back to the U.S. to be with him, but Tony refused.

"She needs to be here. If… _when_ … we find Ziva…her daughter needs to be here. It's important, Dad. I can't explain it, but Tali could be the key to getting my Ziva back." Sr. backed down, booked a flight and now stood with his son, to offer whatever assistance was needed. It had taken Tony two days to get himself and Tali from Israel to Paris. Orli had offered her assistance… and the use of her private jet, but Tony at first had refused. He didn't want to be in debt to this woman, for her seemingly sincere desire to help. The one thing he truly believed in the face of all the lies was that she genuinely cared for Tali and her well-being. If it was just him, he would have re-buffed her overtures of generosity. But it wasn't just him anymore, he had to think about Tali and the toll all of this would inflict on a two-year-old baby. Finally, after much arguing back and forth, Tony had relented and allowed Mossad to transport him and his daughter to Paris.

They didn't arrive until yesterday afternoon and spent most of the rest of the day settling in to their new abode. Tony took Tali to a nearby park for some fresh air, and she had squealed in delight at the dog's being walked by their owners. Tony liked dogs and considered that maybe one day when they were settled in one place they could get one. But that was far into the future, and not something he needed to think or worry about right now.

Their last night in Israel, Tony had gone through the box that Ziva had buried in _Be'er Sheva_ , the keeping place of her _Will_. He had dug it up before they returned to their hotel, and the visit from Orli and call from NCIS had delayed him from opening the treasure trove of thoughts and wishes.

He was not surprised to see that Ziva had added to her list, but he _was_ surprised to see that she had started one for Tali since his concept of the _Will_ was for one to express their own ideas about their future, not someone else's. Still he was intrigued and as he read the paper, he understood that this was indeed Ziva's wishes for her child:

" _I will live a life as free from danger as I possibly can"_

" _I will never learn how to shoot a gun"_

" _I will learn Hebrew and English, but I will only learn other languages because I want to"_

" _I will live my life as I wish to, not as I am ordered to"_

" _I will sing and dance and play the piano with joy and happiness"_

" _I will read books and watch old movies and paint pictures to let my imagination run wild"_

" _I will never be afraid to love, or to be loved"_

" _I will know and love my Abba; and he will know and love me"_

Tony read that last line over again, as he considered what Ziva must have been thinking when she wrote those words. This wasn't a Ziva who was being vindictive and secretive and keeping a child from their father; or a father from their child depending upon your point of view. This was written by a woman who did not know or understand why the father of her child had been silent, and had not acknowledged her existence. And yet despite that, she still hoped that father and daughter would unite, and one day be a family.

"Why didn't I ever call you, Ziva?" Tony berated himself in anguish. "I never listened to you before, why did I decide to let you be this time? _Why?_ "

"Ima?" Tali small, innocent voice broke through Tony's self-flagellation and he drew her in closer. He had placed the child on his lap as he went through the contents of the box, wanting Tali to share in the discovery as he was. She liked the box, much like a child prefers the wrapping paper to the gift. Tony kissed the top of his daughter's head and gently placed the sheet back into its keeping place, knowing he needed to put this away for now. But someday; someday he and Tali would sit together and talk about this box, and what it meant to her mother; and to her mother and to him…

"Where's Tali?" Sr. asked, seeing "his" room was not set up as nursery. He had also noticed that Tony was staring off into space, lost in his own thoughts. Tony jerked slightly in surprise and then nodded to his father in understanding.

"She's with me. Come on, she's napping but you can peek in on her." Tony led his father to the other bedroom and watched him tiptoe over to his granddaughter's crib. The huge smile that broke out on Sr's face caused the tension Tony had been feeling to slowly dissipate. He hadn't heard anything yet from NCIS, which was concerning to him. Abby had at least two days to work on the video's and whatever else evidence they had that he wasn't aware of. He rubbed his neck in frustration. He still wasn't sure this was a priority with anyone but him, and Abby's "two days" may have only amounted to about three hours of actual work, given her other tasks. He tried to not be concerned over the lack of news, but he was failing miserably.

He gently led his father back into the living room and sat him down. "I haven't heard anything from NCIS yet, but I'm sure I will soon. In the meantime," He glanced at his watch. "If it's ok with you, I'll head to the market and get some things for dinner. That is if you don't mind…" Sr. waved his hand.

"Go, son. Go do what you need to do. Go clear your head, go get a drink…I'll bet you haven't had a drink since the moment you laid eyes on Tali have you? I didn't think so. Take your time, we'll be fine." Sr. beamed, convinced of his ability to care for a two-year-old. Tony just shook his head at the idea of him heading to a bar, and that his father thought it would be a good idea.

"I don't need a drink Dad, thanks. But I do need to clear my head. AND get some food so we can eat. I have no plans to eat out for every meal, so you better get used to this." He hesitated for a moment. "If Tali wakes up, she will probably be upset if I'm not here. If that happens, just call me and I'll rush right back." Sr. smiled at his concern for his daughter. His put his hand on Tony's shoulder and squeezed it.

"You're a wonderful father, Anthony. I'm proud of you." Tony swallowed the lump in his throat and gave Sr. a hug in thanks. He quickly took his leave, and headed down the avenue. He had seen an open market when they had arrived and hoped it was still open. He knew he wouldn't be able to get any meat there, but the abundance of fruit, vegetables, cheeses and breads would be a great start. As he turned the corner he came to a stopped, shocked by what he was seeing. As if in slow motion he walked up to the vacant café table, so achingly familiar. He sat down in one of the chairs and ran his hand across the table top, imagining Ziva sitting there, smiling at him, looking so beautiful…

"Bonne après-midi, puis-je vous aider?" Tony looked up in surprise to be spoken to. A jovial elderly French woman had joined him, looking expectant that an order for a beverage or pâtisserie would be forthcoming. Tony smiled back at the woman, liking her immediately. There was a friendliness about her that was genuine and he appreciated the gesture even if she was only trying to sell her wares. He nodded his thanks and quickly ordered a strong coffee and an almond glazed croissant, knowing it was Ziva's favorite.

As he sipped his demi-cup and picked at the pastry, he imagined himself and Ziva taking off on that Vespa to explore the city in what little time they had left. They had already done quite a bit of sight-seeing, including under the covers. Tony grinned at the memory, grateful for the trip and the opportunity for him and Ziva to finally breakthrough their post-Somalia slump. He finished his treat and reluctantly stood to take his leave, laying his hand again on the table as if he could feel Ziva's energy through it. Taking one last look behind him, he headed off in search of his original destination, unaware that he was being followed.

 _ **Hope it wasn't too awful or confusing, with the flashbacks and Abby stuff. Lots have happened in the NCIS world since I last posted. The sudden death of Gary Glasberg was shocking, and I feel sad for his family. We will never know what his actual intentions were regarding the fate of Ziva. I have not watched the show this season, but I can read what's on the internet. Not interested, thank you. I am warming up to Bull. It is getting less dry, and the glimpses that "appear" to be Tony DiNozzo in the character is confirmation that those expressions and quirks were all MW, like we didn't already know that…I had hoped that Bull's ex might be played by Cote, since she is clearly of the same origins; but now I am glad she isn't. There does need to be a distance for a while from NCIS; then next season, Bull can find the love of his life, played by Cote, haha. Please review and let me know that you are still interested in this story. We have well passed the mid-point and will be coming to our conclusion shortly. I hope it will be worth the wait.**_


	11. Chapter 11

**I took the day off from work today, knowing no matter the outcome I would be in either a frenzy of excitement or of despair. I will not name my mood today as I don't want anyone to think that their opinions of the election would be welcomed here. On the plus side, I am off today and the rest of the week and have some time to write…however, I have no doubt I will not finish this in one day so today will probably be yesterday or several days ago before this is posted.**

 **Thanks as always for the great reviews. I am so glad so many of you are still here with me and haven't written me off. If anyone saw T J Ramini on NCIS-LA you have your answer regarding the Ziva question: she is dead and will never be spoken of again. I will not be watching the new NCIS ep with Sr to see what he says about Tony and Tali and why Tony is subletting his apartment, which is probably not startling news since I no longer watch the show anyway…**

 **There will be more back and forth with the dates in this chapter so hope it isn't too confusing. This will also be a very long chapter as I am moving things along, with the last section somewhat frantic. McGee is slightly bumbling at times in this one; Bishop is a bit more than a footnote (but not much) and Abby and Gibbs are both total jerks in this chapter as well…**

 **Previously on "Hiding In Plain Sight"-**

" _ **You're a wonderful father, Anthony. I'm proud of you." Tony swallowed the lump in his throat and gave Sr. a hug in thanks. He quickly took his leave, and headed down the avenue. He had seen an open market when they had arrived and hoped it was still open. He knew he wouldn't be able to get any meat there, but the abundance of fruit, vegetables, cheeses and breads would be a great start. As he turned the corner he came to a stopped, shocked by what he was seeing. As if in slow motion he walked up to the vacant café table, so achingly familiar. He sat down in one of the chairs and ran his hand across the table top, imagining Ziva sitting there, smiling at him, looking so beautiful…**_

" _ **Bonne**_ _ **après-midi,**_ _ **puis-je vous aider?" Tony looked up in surprise to be spoken to. A jovial elderly French woman had joined him, looking expectant that an order for a beverage or**_ _ **pâtisserie**_ _ **would be forthcoming. Tony smiled back at the woman, liking her immediately. There was a friendliness about her that was genuine and he appreciated the gesture even if she was only trying to sell her wares. He nodded his thanks and quickly ordered a strong coffee and an almond glazed croissant, knowing it was Ziva's favorite.**_

 _ **As he sipped his demi-cup and picked at the pastry, he imagined himself and Ziva taking off on that Vespa to explore the city in what little time they had left. They had already done quite a bit of sight-seeing, including under the covers. Tony grinned at the memory, grateful for the trip and the opportunity for him and Ziva to finally breakthrough their post-Somalia slump. He finished his treat and reluctantly stood to take his leave, laying his hand again on the table as if he could feel Ziva's energy through it. Taking one last look behind him, he headed off in search of his original destination, unaware that he was being followed.**_

Disclaimers- not mine

Hiding In Plain Sight- Chapter Eleven

 **Paris, France- The Louvre, June 8** **th** **, 4 p.m.**

Ziva stared at the glass enclosed painting, tilting her head as she considered what the woman may have been thinking to have such an enigmatic smile on her face. Did she understand that as she sat for the artist she would be immortalized and revered for the ages? Did she think her time was being wasted as she sat still and "literally" did nothing; or did she just enjoy spending time with Leonardo da Vinci? Was she even a real person and not a composite of other women? A figure shrouded in mystery and of an unknown origin?

Ziva shook her head at her random thoughts as she contemplated her own identity, her mortality and what place she would have in her new reality. She suddenly felt overwhelmed at her predicament, knowing who she was and what she had been; but who she ultimately became and will become cast in her own shroud; a veil of confusion and uncertainty draped over her mind and eyes that at times seemed translucent but then maddingly became opaque.

Still, she felt compelled to return to her original destination even knowing that Jenny would not be there. It was a tenuous thread that linked the past with the present, and Ziva feared what might happen if that thread should break. She didn't like this blank slate that was now her reality, a past that could no longer be lived, a present that was outside her realm of existence. She felt impotent at her loss of control. She had some flashes, but that's all they were. Without context, they were meaningless and frustrating.

"Andiamo, Bambina!" The words filtered into her brain, spoken by a bored young man trying to drag his enthralled girlfriend away from the painting that he believed she had already spent too much time looking at.

" _Dove?"_ Ziva glanced up at the young woman, who met her eyes. They spoke the question as one, Ziva answering in the same instance as she. The woman smiled apologetically as she gathered her things and took the hand that was extended toward her. Ziva did not see the parting, or the friendly smile or the gently clasped hands. She saw herself sitting in a large, open room with impossibly orange colored walls; absently working at her computer; interrupted by the gleeful voice of her partner Tony as he came down the stairs from the mezzanine:

" _Andiamo, Bambina!" "Dove?"_

The wave of dizziness that engulfed her was so sudden Ziva gasped, reaching out her hands to steady herself. She became aware of a flurry of activity around her but could not respond. The voices were hollow as if coming from under the sea, at times frantic. She felt the hands clutching at her but she was unable to fend them off. The shroud enveloped her, the darkness overtook the light and she knew no more…

…It was the smell that first began to seep into the unconscious mind. The smell…and the intense cold. She tried to sit upright, listing to her side as the dizziness threatened to overcome her momentum. Finally, the world stopped spinning and then stood still. Ziva slowly opened her eyes, gagging at the intense antiseptic smell that pervaded the small, freezing room in which she was an occupant. She looked vaguely around her surroundings, taking in the sterile environment, with medical gadgets hanging on the wall and a framed painting of what she could only describe as "brains on fire" taking up an entire wall of the tiny quarters. Awareness of her situation hit her like a dash of cold water thrown on her face. Ziva frantically looked around for her belongings, sighing in relief to see her bag and clothing on the small metal chair next to the bed she was lying on.

She tested her balance again by sitting on the edge, dangling her feet. Feeling no ill effects, she slowly stood and reached for her things. She knew without looking that her possessions had been gone through, that her privacy had been invaded.

 _They knew who she was._

Ziva forced herself to take deep breaths, to force down the panic she felt rising in her chest. She wasn't ready to be "found" by anyone; she still didn't know what her status was with Mossad and a threat that was perceived was a threat that was real and needed to be avoided. As much as she longed for this nightmare to end, as far as she was concerned the only person who needed to find Ziva was _Ziva_. She scrambled to get herself dressed as quietly as possible and tiptoeing to the door, she cracked it open and listened for a few tense moments. She could hear voices not too far away but they didn't seem to be moving in her direction. Taking a chance, she slipped down the hallway and found another door that led to a wide, open area. Assuming an air of nonchalance and acting like she had every right to be where she was, Ziva strolled purposely down the concourse; smiling and nodding as she passed medical staff and visitors alike. She tried to not break into a run when she finally came into view of the front entrance, and the doors that would lead her to freedom and safety.

Once outside, Ziva then allowed her anxiety to kick in and took off as fast as she could without attracting notice. She jogged down the Avenue Victoria, turning right on Pont au Change until she found herself at the Tour St-Jacques on the Rue de Rivoli side. She stopped near the entrance and slid gracelessly onto a sculptured bench, catching her breath and closing her eyes in relief that she had eluded capture but the close call was unnerving. Until she had the answers she was searching for, no one could be trusted. Everyone else was the enemy, including this Tony person.

 _Tony._

Her memory flashback came to her in that instant, as vague and confusing as it had been before. She didn't have the luxury to consider what it meant at the time; her body failing her at that most critical moment. But now, sitting in the calming presence of the immense Tower, Ziva felt her confusion morph into curiosity and she thought hard to recall the images that had flashed so quickly through her mind.

 _He spoke Italian to her._ The importance of this memory was that her elusive Tony had finally spoken. Up until this point he had just been an array of out of focus images of eyes and smiles, which wasn't a bad vision to have but it wasn't very useful. The flashes she had which were darker had not added any information other than more questions. But now he spoke. _In Italian._

Ziva snorted derisively. He was _not_ Italian, at least not native born. His accent was not authentic and anyone could have known that phrase. What was a revelation to her was that they did indeed work together, as from what she could recall she was in a work setting although she knew of no such room with orange walls as she saw in her mind's eye. She considered the possibility that this Tony was Mossad, which she had at first dismissed. Maybe he was of Russian descent, Anton maybe? Or perhaps he _was_ Italian and he lost most of his accent and his name was Antonio? She couldn't imagine she would ever find herself working for the DIS, so she threw that idea away as quickly as it came.

Could he be an American and worked with Jenny at NCIS? If that was the case, then _she_ also worked for or with NCIS; an idea that would have been ridiculous if she wasn't in this predicament. Could she have followed Jenny back to NCIS? Could she have left Mossad, Israel… _and her father_? She knew what she needed to do, what she had refused to do before: she needed to go back to The Sorbonne and perform another computer search. This time she would seek out information regarding the death of Eli David. She had put this search off, dreading the circumstance of her father's demise. But only now did she finally realize that a search for Eli David would also reveal information about his family at the time of his death: one Ziva David. She looked at her watch and was stunned to see it was 8 p.m. Four hours had passed since her episode at the Louvre, and finally the fatigue started to wear her down. Reluctantly, she gathered her things and decided that her new search would have to start tomorrow, when she was more rested. Slowly, she set out to her flat, a room above a pâtisserie that for some reason she did not know or understand felt like home.

 **Siège de l'Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris**

"Mademoiselle David? I have your test results…" the French doctor stopped short, his eyes searching anxiously about the tiny room as if the woman would somehow appear. He knocked hesitantly on the small door that led to an even tinier lavatory, glancing down to see that her belongings were nowhere to be seen. "Merde!" the young physician muttered under his breath. He flew from the room and grabbed the nearest phone.

" _Yes, she has left. I do not know where! What should we do? Yes, yes…I see. I will alert the authorities immediately!"_

 **NCIS- Forensics Lab, June 8** **th** **, 6 p.m.**

"I ran a facial recognition program with the footage provided by the Louvre. I have searched all available video from May 13th through June 1st, which is the last day they sent." Abby bounced from monitor to monitor, waving her hands wildly as she described her efforts to Vance, Gibbs and McGee. Vance looked at McGee, who seemed very tense for some reason.

"And…?" The Director prompted her to continue with her results when they didn't seem to be immediately forthcoming.

Abby frowned, her lips twisted in a semi-pout. " _And_ …I got hits. A lot of hits! It seems like every woman who visits the Mona Lisa has dark brown curly hair and olive skin! If she's there I can't find her. I can't!" The room deflated with the news that Ziva had not been positively identified. "This is ridiculous! Why would anyone think this would work? It's been a total waste of my time!" Abby grumbled. Vance hiked an eyebrow at her tirade, while Gibbs just smiled indulgently as a parent to a mischievous child.

"Abby…" McGee was the one to speak first, and his tone was one of warning. Vance turned to McGee in surprise, sensing that there was more to his remark than was obvious. McGee caught his eye and shook his head slightly.

"Well, at least you tried, Abby." Gibbs kissed her forehead, as she beamed her thanks at a job well done.

"Oh, you aren't finished quite yet, Ms. Sciuto. We have more videos to review. Agent McGee will upload them for you. And I guess I didn't make myself clear on this matter: this is a priority situation. Understood?" Abby widened her eyes and then looked appealingly to Gibbs.

"Director…" Gibbs began. Vance cut him off with a wave of his hand.

" _Priority_. I have every reason to believe that Ziva David is alive. We _will_ find her! What other avenues have you tried?" Vance directed this to Gibbs and McGee as well. McGee looked up and nodded in appreciation that Vance was not letting this go.

"I contacted our Embassy in Paris, in the off chance that Ziva may regain her memory and seek them out. They haven't been contacted by her…yet…but they have my name and number and will contact me as soon as they hear anything." McGee offered, looking at Gibbs to see if he had anything to add. Seeing nothing forthcoming, he continued to describe his efforts. "I also created a program that will alert me whenever the name Ziva or Ziva David is listed in a search engine." Gibbs frowned as he tried to understand what McGee was talking about

"Won't you get hits on everyone here who is doing their own searches for Ziva? Seems like a waste of time to have to weed out the false leads." Gibbs wasn't impressed with McGee's efforts and McGee felt a slight flush of anger that he managed to conceal.

"Well, _yeah_ …Boss…if I didn't also add a filter to the program. None of our queries will show up in my responses." He tried to not sound pissed that Gibbs thought he was an idiot, but he was becoming increasingly unhappy with both his and Abby's obstinacy about Ziva. He could feel Vance's posture tense beside him, knowing he was picking up on the contentious vibes in the room. Vance looked hard at Gibbs and Abby but spoke to McGee when the room became uncomfortably silent.

"Good work, McGee. Add Jenny Shepard and Eli David to your parameters. Assuming Ziva has finally realized that she is not living in 2004, she may have done her own research. I think the first persons she would look for would be Director Shepard. And her father." McGee silently berated himself for not thinking of that, but Vance was not chastising in his tone. "Agent McGee, if you will come with me please?" The Director turned sharply on his heel and headed for the elevator, as McGee looked back at Gibbs. Gibbs was not smiling and that concerned McGee far more than watching Abby snuggle into him for comfort and validation.

As the elevator closed, Gibbs turned to Abby, concern on his face. "What's up, Abbs? I know this is shocking to think Ziva may be alive, but you seem really stressed out about the whole thing." Abby pulled away and started wringing her hands.

"I have work to do, Gibbs. Important work! I don't understand why I am wasting my time looking for someone that may not even be alive! And if Ziva is alive, how can she keep hiding like this!" Abby stomped her foot for emphasis as Gibbs cocked his head to regard her.

"I get it, Abby. I do. But Vance has given us orders to find Ziva, even if we don't think it will happen. I don't think she's alive, and I shouldn't have given DiNozzo false hope by bringing up my own experience with amnesia." Gibbs rubbed the back of his neck in frustration. "Just keep running your facial recognition program. You don't need to stand and monitor it. Just check it daily. Hell, don't check it at all, since she's not going to be found that way. You said it yourself. Unless Ziva stared directly into one of the surveillance cameras you're never going to get a clean hit." He could see Abby visibly relax as he spoke, basically giving her permission to only do a bare bones search. She launched herself at him and crushed him in a fierce hug,

"Thank you, thank you, thank you Gibbs! I knew I could count on you to back me up." Gibbs once again kissed her check and turned to leave. He stopped before he got to the door and looked back over his shoulder.

"Always, Abbs."

 **Vance's Office**

"Have a seat, Agent McGee." Vance waved his hand toward the chair in front of his desk, giving McGee no alternative but to take the proffered seat.

Vance regarded the Senior Field Agent closely, trying to gauge his demeanor. He had not been blind to the tension that this news had brought to the team, especially between McGee and Gibbs. He had been aware of the growing distance between DiNozzo and Gibbs since Ziva's departure, although he wasn't sure if he would label it a rift. But now he was wondering if that indeed is what it was, especially this past year. And it seemed to have spread to DiNozzo's successor, at least as far as this assignment was concerned.

McGee shifted uncomfortably under Vance's scrutiny. He knew he had been a bit transparent lately over his growing frustration with Gibbs and his seeming disinterest in Tony…and Tali. His last encounter with Abby had added her to the mix and he was beginning to think he was on his own as Tony's only resource and champion.

"Is there something I need to know, Agent McGee?" Vance asked somewhat obliquely, causing McGee to squirm a bit more.

"Sir?" McGee wasn't quite sure what Vance was asking but he had no intention of whining to the Director of NCIS because he thought Tony had been abandoned by his "friends".

Vance rested his cheek on his hand, mirroring his posture when he discussed with DiNozzo his travel plans to Israel three years earlier. Vance straightened up and leaned forward, his hands clasped on his desk.

"I am sensing some tension between you, Gibbs and Ms. Sciuto. Is there something I need to know?" He repeated.

"No Sir!" McGee shook his head, hoping he sounded more convincing than he felt. Vance's smiled somewhat, but not in humor.

"I'm not looking for a disciplinary report, Agent McGee, but I need to know if there are some issues with this current assignment. Have you had any discussions with either Gibbs or Ms. Sciuto to cause you to believe that they aren't making every effort to find David?"

McGee frowned and leaned back into his chair. He did NOT want to have this conversion with anyone, let alone the Director. But he also felt that they owed Tony the best they could give him, if not for his years of service but because he was their friend.

He rubbed his chin worriedly, considering his words. "Abby has said some things to me that make me concerned." He began haltingly. Vance nodded in encouragement.

"She, well I don't know if you are aware of this, but Abby…she was really upset that Ziva didn't come back with Tony. Well, not _with_ Tony but come back when he did. I don't think Abby thought of Tony and Ziva being together. None of us did; well, kind of; but since Gibbs has his rules..." Vance sighed as McGee rambled a bit. Gibbs had filled him in on the team's reaction to Ziva's decision to not return so Abby's unhappiness was not a surprise but he had thought she had gotten over it.

"Does she still have issues with what happened three years ago? I was under the impression that they had talked and things were fine between them." McGee shrugged at Vance's query.

"That's what she said at the time, but now…with this news that Ziva may still be alive and we might even bring her back…I don't know, Director; but there seems to be something else going on. She is very angry at Ziva right now, and doesn't think she is worth our time or effort; at least that's how it sounded to me. It's almost like…she doesn't want Ziva to be alive or if she is alive for us to find her. God, I shouldn't have said that, that sounds terrible." Tim winced slightly, realizing how damning his words were. "Look, Director: she didn't actually say that, but it was how she spoke that has given me a feeling that she is not on board with this investigation."

Vance digested this bit of information, taking it for the subjective response that it was. "I see." He finally answered. "And Gibbs? He and DiNozzo have been at odds since he came back from Israel. Is that affecting his efforts is this? And is he giving you a hard time about it?"

McGee blanched at that. "Honestly, Director. Gibbs hasn't said a word to me about it. And I guess you can make up your own mind what that might mean. He's not engaged as far as I can tell. Other than offering his insight regarding his own experience with amnesia, which kind of set this whole thing in motion, you wouldn't know that there was anything going on." He chewed his lower lip as he considered saying more. "After Ziva left, Gibbs changed. I don't think he's said her name more than a handful of times since then, and most of it has been in the last week. And now that Tony is gone it's like, I don't know what he's thinking or how he feels about everything but I get the impression that he took Ziva not coming back and Tony leaving as a personal insult. Being on his team is more important than taking care of yourself or having a life. God, I shouldn't have said that either!" McGee looked horrified that he had spilled his guts to his superior and gave such a negative view of his boss. He looked worriedly at Vance, ready for the rebuke that he knew would be forthcoming.

"I appreciate your candor, Agent McGee. And some of the things you have said have not gone unnoticed, by me and by others in the agency. What about the others on your team? They haven't been read into this investigation; are any of them asking questions?" McGee frowned, not liking the turn in the conversation.

"If you'll forgive me, Director but I'm not sure how that is relevant."

Vance grunted, but nodded. "Fair enough, I just wondered if you thought it would be advantageous to add any of the new agents to the investigation, since Gibbs and Ms. Sciuto don't seem to be giving it the priority it needs." Vance seemed more amused than put out by McGee's response to his question, which was a relief. McGee gave it some thought but shook his head.

"No on Bishop. I can't think of a single thing she could offer that isn't already being done. Reeves might have a bit more insight into the workings of Paris but I don't know that he's been there. He has worked with Abby down in the lab, but I think she would be pissed…uh, sorry…unhappy if he was sent down there to help her." Tim shrugged his shoulders. "Same with Torres and Quinn. I don't think Gibbs would like them taking time away from learning to be on his team, if you get what I mean."

"I do, Agent McGee. Thank you for your insight. I appreciate your hard work. Also of no small consequence is your loyalty, to both DiNozzo and David. Never be ashamed of that, it is a trait to be admired and emulated." McGee's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected praise, but he reined it in. He stood and shook hands with the Director and quickly left, anxious to update his program and add the two new names.

He pounded down the stairs, groaning as he saw Bishop and Reeves deep in conversation. In retrospect, Tony and Ziva were always near or hovering around each other and McGee never gave it a second thought. He didn't have time to consider why he was irked with Bishop and Reeves mimicking Tony and Ziva, but he was. Reeves looked up as McGee came into the bullpen and grinned.

"There you are, mate. We were wondering where you got off to." Reeves ambled over to McGee's desk and watch as he quickly typed in the new data for his program. "Anything I can help you with? Looks like you got something big going there." McGee looked up and then glanced over at Bishop still sitting at her desk. She looked at him with her usual perplexed expression, but he didn't pay her any attention. McGee turned back to Reeves, who was patiently waiting for his response

"Thanks Reeves, but I got it. I'll let you know if I need anything." McGee returned to his keyboard and watched the screen light up as it reset the parameters. Tim then relaxed and sat back. Even if Ziva had already made multiple queries about Jenny or her father it would be hours before the program finished the search and downloaded the results. Checking his watch, he wondered if Tony and Tali had arrived in Paris as scheduled. He had talked to Tony and knew how adverse he was to using Mossad's help, but Tim had to agree that it was the best option for him and Tali to get there. Tim sighed as he considered how different everything was and once again glanced around the squad room.

Gibbs had returned by now, with Quinn and Torres in tow. He had quickly collared Reeves and soon the four of them were heading toward Vance's office. McGee had no idea what that was about and he was stunned to find he didn't care. Once again Bishop looked confused at being left behind, but McGee was too busy to worry about her feelings. But her hang dog look got the better of him as he stood and stretch. He decided he needed to extend an olive branch and asked her if she wanted something from the deli since he was going to head out and get something for dinner. She looked grateful and McGee felt bad that she was feeling out of the loop, but that wasn't his call. Besides, as he told Vance there wasn't anything she could add that already wasn't being done by someone else.

 **Paris, Embassy of the United States, June 9** **th** **, 11:30 a.m.**

Assistant Attaché Brian Reynolds went through the mail and communications by rote, a daily task that was as boring as it was predictable but occasionally something interesting or amusing might come across his desk. Of 'course he didn't get to see anything sensitive; those were reserved for a higher rank than he currently held, but he knew someday he would move up the ladder and… _what was this?_

The foreign service worker peered closely at the bulletin issued the previous evening from Siège de l'Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris regarding an American citizen who received services and then disappeared. The agent grunted, thinking the hospital was just trying to get their payment but as he continued to read the communiqué he realized that this was an alert to locate the patient for health reasons. Reynolds pressed a button on his phone, alerting his assistant that he needed to get in touch with his superior immediately.

 **Washington, DC- Falls Church crime scene, 7:00 a.m.**

McGee struggle to contain his yawn, having had about three and a half hours sleep the night before. He had remained at the Navy Yard until about 11 p.m., hoping for some results to start coming in, but he finally caved in and went home. Even if something showed up before he left, he wasn't going to call Tony in the middle of the night to give him the results, and frankly he felt he should run everything by Vance before he tipped Tony off and caused him to run all over Paris. He had never been one who could go to bed and fall asleep the minute he got home, so he didn't retire until about 1 a.m. His blessed sleep was interrupted at 5:00 a. m. with a call from Gibbs: dead body in Falls Church at the home of a Navy analyst at the Pentagon.

Tim led the interviews while Gibbs worked with Torres and Reeves at mapping out the crime scene with sketches and photos. Bishop seemed put out by Quinn for some reason so he steered clear of the women as much as he could. This was the first time they had two females on the team and while McGee was certainly not a chauvinist and supported his female coworkers, he wondered if having the two on the team at the same time was going to work out. He shrugged as it wasn't his call to make and made a mental note to himself to keep an eye on what he was doing and not what he had no control over. He sighed as he heard a bitchy noise come out of Quinn's mouth. He rolled his eyes and hoped he had something waiting for him when they finally got back to NCIS that would prove Ziva was alive.

 **Paris, Pâtisserie** **Libellule, 11:00 a.m.**

Ziva groaned as she turned on her side, not fully awake even as the sun shone on her face with a warmth that was comforting. She suddenly sat upright, stunned to see the sun so high on the horizon. Grabbing her watch, she cursed under her breath for sleeping the morning away when she had so much to do, feeling fortunate that she did not need to be at work this morning. Marie, the lovely owner of the pâtisserie had not only provided her with a place to stay but with some part time work as well. She had come across Ziva at the nearby food kitchen where she donated her wares and immediately took her under her wing. Ziva did not want to keep filching her food and clothing from innocent men and women who worked hard for a living, but she had no marketable skills; thinking assassin was not something one should advertise; therefore, she gratefully accepted the French woman's offer of assistance. The pay was miniscule, but she was given the small room to live in and her meals were free. That was the deciding factor for Ziva, as she needed to eat well to remain healthy and to be able to continue her search. That…and the need for companionship. Ziva had been alone for too long, and the friendship of the elderly woman was an anchor in a storm.

Marie looked up as she finally came down the narrow stairs, chuckling at her look of embarrassment. "Ah, Sophie! You were out late again, yes? That is not a good thing, it is too dangerous to be out alone!" Maria clucked her tongue at her younger charge and pointed to a chair. As much as Ziva wanted to get started on her new search, she could not turn down a hot meal. She obediently sat down in the designated chair and ate the hearty soup, bread and cheese that was laid out before her. She watched the woman bustle about the small shop, greeting her regulars and tourists alike with her wide smile and twinkling blue eyes. As grateful as she was to be given free food, Ziva soon became concerned at eating so many sweets and carbohydrates. She convinced Marie to add a healthier lunch option to her menu and soon "Sophie's Salads" were a hit among the clientele. Marie was pleasantly surprised by Ziva's culinary skills and soon began teaching her some of the secrets handed down through her family. She never asked about Sophie's past, and Ziva never explained that her name was not really "Sophie Ranier" but was Ziva David. She didn't know how she came up with the name; it just tumbled naturally out of her mouth when she introduced herself to the woman. She dutifully bussed her own table, taking her crockery into the bright, clean kitchen. Marie shooed her away, but then turned to her with a mischievous look in her eye.

"There is the most handsome man sitting outside, such beautiful eyes and that smile…ah, if only I was younger." She chuckled and pinched Ziva on the cheek. Ziva smiled in amusement at her antics, fondly watching the woman return to the front of the shop. Ziva checked her watch again and was dismayed to see that it was already 1:30 p.m. Grabbing her bag, she waved good-bye and headed toward the front entrance to the shop, but she stopped in stunned silence as she saw the man Marie was gushing about. She watched him finish his last morsel of croissant; watched him take his napkin and wipes the crumbs from his lips and take his last sip of whatever it was he was drinking. He hesitated before he left, placing his hand on the table, almost as if caressing it. He was caressing _her_ table. The one she always sat at, where she had her first vision of Tony…

She slipped quietly out the door and keeping a discreet distance, Ziva followed the man who had haunted her visions: Tony, her partner… _or her enemy_.

 **Paris, Embassy of the United States, June 9** **th** **, 12 noon**

The Assistant Attaché paced the small outer reception room, waiting to be called into his supervisor's office, the notice from the hospital clutched tightly in his hand. Not soon enough, the inner door opened and he was ushered in. The Senior Attaché looked up from his paperwork and peered over his glasses at his underling. "Yes, you have something of interest for me?"

"Yes, sir. I believe this is something you would want to see." He handed over the typed fax, watching with anxiety as it was read. William "Bilbo" Channing did not disappoint if the look of alarm on his face was any indication. He looked up as Reynolds stopped pacing. "This came in last night?"

Brian nodded. "Yes sir, around 10 p.m. It was included in the morning communications." He watched "Bilbo" Channing drum his fingers on his desk as he pondered something. He snapped his fingers and turned to his keyboard, typing at lightning speed. Finding what he was looking for, he sat back in his chair and took a deep breath.

"This is a missing woman, reported to me by the DC office of NCIS." He began. "Ziva David. She went missing after an explosion. This is great news…well maybe not that great considering what this says." He pursed his lips and hesitating slightly, reached for his phone and punched in the number that had been given him for contact, but then hung up just as quickly. Brian looked surprise at the action.

"It's only 6 a.m. there. A phone message can be missed but I am betting emails are viewed immediately." He signed into his secure server and sent the email to Special Agent Timothy McGee and informed him that his missing person had been found…but then lost again.

 **NCIS- Bullpen, 8:00 a.m.**

McGee practically ran to his desk, anxious to see if his new search yielded any viable results. As he quickly signed into his computer, Gibbs looked at him with a sour face. "Paperwork first, McGee. Then you can play with your computer program." McGee's head shot up and he looked at Gibbs squarely in the face.

"Boss, I'm sorry but that analyst is dead. Ziva may be alive and if…"

"Ziva?" Bishop blurted out. "You think Ziva is alive? Is that what you're doing? Looking for her?" Her head whipped back and forth between McGee and Gibbs, who were now standing toe to toe, glaring at each other.

"This is kind of weird." Torres murmured to Quinn. "I thought everyone here was one big happy family. And who in the hell is Ziva?" Quinn shrugged, but Reeves lit up.

"That would be absolutely brilliant! You really think she survived the attack?" He directed this at Gibbs, who was still staring McGee down.

"No, I don't. I think…" Gibbs was cut off by multiple chimes coming from McGee's computer. McGee didn't give Gibbs a chance to continue his rant as he dove back behind his desk and began typing rapidly.

"Multiple hits on Jenny Shepard, none on Eli David or Ziva…these were all done at The Sorbonne. I can get the security footage and we can…"

"What? Waste more of Abby's time by running a facial recognition program that will never show Ziva? Come on, McGee! She's dead. Mossad verified that. Quit wasting your time, _our_ time!" Gibbs' quiet explosion had more force than if he began throwing things, and it had always intimidated McGee. But not this time. While Gibbs was venting his spleen, McGee's attention was drawn to the blinking icon on his task bar, telling him he had a high importance, secure email waiting for him…from the U. S. Embassy in Paris.

 **Paris, France- 2 p.m.**

This could be the day…the day when Ziva's questions were finally answered. After weeks of living in the past, maybe now her present would be revealed to her. Finally, her elusive Tony was before her eyes and he was… _buying fruits and vegetables?_

Ziva watched surreptitiously as Tony roamed about the market, taking sniffs and gauging ripeness as if he knew what he was doing. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion at his normalcy. He was an intelligence agent; she at least knew that from her brief memory retrievals. Was he on vacation? Was he undercover? Ah, yes! That must be it.

She frowned as she considered her conclusion. She was perplexed that he had stopped on his way to the outdoor market and had bought a bright, pink balloon. Maybe he was going to use it as some sort of signal? Then she considered that maybe he was not alone in his mission and she was shocked by the wave of jealousy that coursed through her at the thought of him being undercover with another female agent. Before she could begin to analyze her reaction, she saw him reach for his phone. His handsome smile changed to a frown, and then the color drained from his face; the balloon loosened from his grip and set free to roam the Paris skies until it's buoyance ceased. She could see him speaking rapidly to his caller and then he hung up. She felt a slight concern as he bent over and placed his hands on his knees, almost as if he was trying to not pass out. He covered his face with his hands briefly and then quickly punched some numbers into his cell phone. Ziva watched him pace in agitation as he spoke to whomever he had called. She could see that he was emotional but she couldn't name what it was he was feeling as his expression changed so rapidly. Suddenly, he ended his call and started sprinting in her direction; so quickly she barely had time to conceal herself. As he came closer, she knew she had to do something…

 **NCIS- Vance's office, 8:15 a.m.**

McGee and Gibbs stood silently as Vance read the email McGee had received from Channing. His sigh of relief at the realization that Ziva was alive was short lived by the contents of the missive. He looked up at McGee and Gibbs, who stood several feet from each other. "This is what we have been waiting for, this is what we had hoped…Ziva David is alive and in Paris." He leaned back heavily in his chair. "I'd like to get Dr. Mallard's take on what the hospital has to say about her condition. Agent McGee…" he turned to Tim. "I want you to contact DiNozzo and share this information with him. It's not all good news, but he deserves to know that the mother of his daughter is alive." McGee nodded and practically ran from the room, ignoring Gibbs who started to protest.

"You wanted to say something, Gibbs?" Vance's tone was not friendly and Gibbs was not stupid even if he was stubborn.

Considering his options, Gibbs decided that he would be better served being a team player, if he could call the shots. "McGee had mentioned that he had some hits on Jenny from the Sorbonne. I can get Abby to look at the footage…" he trailed off as Vance waved his hand dismissively.

"I think we can discontinue the need for running the facial recognition program since we've already established that Ziva is alive." Vance started to dismiss his team leader but thought better of it. "In fact, I would like to join you as you give Ms. Sciuto the good news. Shall we?" Gibbs narrowed his eyes at the Director's actions. He couldn't see why he would care one way or the other about Abby hearing the news, but he shrugged and followed the Director of NCIS out of his office.

 **Paris, 1:30 p.m.**

Tony finished his treat and reluctantly stood to take his leave, laying his hand again on the table as if he could feel Ziva's energy through it. He took hope that he had come across this pâtisserie, seeing the open table as a good omen. He wondered what Abby would think about the coincidence of him finding this place when he wasn't actively looking for it...he frowned as he considered his former co-worker. He still needed to talk to the woman about her conversation with Ziva that she had never mentioned, but just as quickly dismissed the thought. Abby was the last person he wanted to think about right now and he shook himself a bit, clearing any negative thoughts. Taking one last look behind him, he headed off in search of his original destination, unaware that he was being followed.

He took in his surroundings as he strode purposely toward the open-air market, memorizing his path and learning about his current neighborhood. He didn't know how long they would be staying at the hotel, but he took his dad's question regarding his financial status to heart and considered his options. He hadn't been lying when he said NCIS had been good to him- they very generously gave him a severance package that was by no means the norm when workers quit their jobs. They justified it by calling is hazardous duty pay, and compensation for loss while on active duty. Of' course they were referring to Ziva, who had never returned but Vance for some reason had kept her on the payroll. Her life insurance policy and her own retirement went into a special fund for Tali, as Tony refused to touch it even if Ziva had surprisingly named Tony as her beneficiary. It wasn't as surprising to him as it was to Vance: Tony had entered Ziva's name as his own heir elect.

And he had also been truthful with Senior when he had stated he had saved quite a bit of money over the years. He remembered acting shocked with Tim and Ziva that he could have taken comp time instead of all that overtime pay… _I don't need money, I need time!_ But he was just giving them what they expected. He was very astute regarding finances and it had not been in his plan to work until he died….

Tony gulped down the sudden wave of sadness that threatened to engulf him when that thought came to him. Bright colors caught his eye, and his somber mood evaporated as he walked up to the vendor. Carefully considering his choices, he selected a pretty pink balloon for Tali, chuckling as he remembered his first bumbling attempts to entertain the toddler with his own imaginary balloon. Feeling more hopeful, Tony continued his mission to find dinner for his father and his daughter. Seeing the market in the large square ahead, he picked up his pace and trotted across the avenue.

He took his time and made a loop around the market to see his options before making any purchases. He selected some asparagus, peas and tomatoes. The melons were just in season so he wasn't too sure about his selections. He opted for apples, apricots and raspberries. As he was heading for the more salad type vegetables his cell phone rang, startling him that he almost dropped his wares. He pulled the phone from his pocket and stopped in his tracks when he saw it was from McGee.

"Hey, McGee." Tony tried to sound nonchalant but his heart was hammering so hard he thought it would burst from his chest.

"Tony, where are you?" Tony frowned at the question, wondering why it would matter.

"Uh, Paris? But you knew that. What are you trying to say, Tim?" Tony willed his heart to slow down, as he knew… _knew_ …this was the call. This could be the day…the day when Tony's questions were finally answered. After weeks of living in the past, and an unexpected present, maybe now his future would be revealed to him. The call that would tell him Ziva had been found or…he didn't want to think of the alternative.

McGee took a deep breath, considering how he was going to relay this news to Tony. The good news: Ziva was alive. The bad news: they still didn't know where she was, other than Paris. And then the _other_ bad news…

"Ok, Tony. This is what's happened. I heard back from the U.S. Embassy in Paris…"

"Ziva went to the Embassy? Then she's alive and has her memory back!" Tony interrupted Tim before he could finish, so elated he was at the news.

Tim didn't want to crash Tony's world but he needed him to understand what they were up against. "No…and yes…and I don't know. Tony, Ziva _is_ alive. It's been confirmed. She's alive." McGee let that sink in before he dropped his other bombshell. He could hear Tony hyperventilating on the other end, but he didn't force the conversation.

"Where is she, Tim?" Tony was finally able to find his voice, his words a mixture of elation and pain. McGee grimaced slightly, hating to burst his bubble so quickly.

"Well, that we don't know just yet. But you need to understand this, Tony. We found Ziva because of an alert issued by a hospital she was admitted to yesterday. She left before they could treat her, and the staff sent a fax to the Embassy in case they knew of her whereabouts." Tony listened with growing concern at what McGee was relaying to him.

"How bad, McGee?" Tony knew Ziva had to have been injured in the explosion. And with the confirmation of her previous injury when working with Jenny and the reminder of Gibbs' test with fate, he had understood there were possible medical risks Ziva could be dealing with. But thinking about the possibilities and knowing facts were two different things. Tony couldn't bear to think that Ziva could have survived and they found her; and then he could lose her again to a post-injury related condition. He didn't feel his grip loosen and see the beautiful balloon float away, free from its moorings.

"I don't understand half of what the hospital reported, Tony. Ducky is coming up to translate it for us, but the hospital did a CT scan of her brain and found something that has them extremely worried for her safety. That's all I can say about the medical stuff, I'm so sorry Tony." McGee felt like he was failing his friend; _both_ of his friends. What good was knowing she was alive if they couldn't find her in time?

Tony digested this news as his world suddenly changed. _Ziva was alive_. That was the important thing to hang onto to. Tali's _Ima_ was alive. He felt the tears come to his eyes. What would he say to Tali? He knew he needed more information and forced himself to focus on Tim and not his emotions. "Ok, McGee. You…you did great and I will never be able to thank you enough for helping to find Ziva. Can you give me the name of the hospital? I'm going to head over there now and see if I can speak to the docs. Maybe they have some clues as to where she's been or living…" He took a deep breath to calm his nerves as he listened to McGee give him the information he requested. "I'll let you know what I find. Thanks, McGee. I really mean that." Tony ended the call and then dropped his hands to his knees, bending over to get the blood flowing to his brain. The last thing he needed was to pass out in the middle of Paris. Finally regaining his equilibrium, he punched in some numbers on his cell phone and paced anxiously in a circle until the call was answered.

Senior leisurely put down the paper he was reading and pulled out his phone, smiling as he could see it was from Tony. He figured he would enjoy himself once he got out on his own and anticipated he would call to say that he would be out longer than he had first planned. "Junior! Enjoying that fresh air? I knew once you got out…"

Tony cut off his father before he got too far along in his monologue. "Dad, listen to me, it's important! I just heard back from McGee. We have confirmation that Ziva is alive. Do you hear me? Ziva is alive and in Paris."

Senior's shock was quickly replaced by joy. "Son! That's wonderful news! Do you want me to wake up Tali and tell her that her mother is coming home?" He had already risen from his chair and was heading toward the bedroom when Tony stopped him.

"NO! Dad, don't saying anything to Tali, please! I said she was alive and in Paris. I didn't say I found her. There is also something wrong with her, she needs medical help. I'm heading to the hospital that has her records and see if I can find out more information. I'll…I'll be back later than I thought so you may need to order dinner in." Senior listened with growing concern as Tony described what he had found out. He waved his hand dismissively as Tony mentioned dinner.

"Don't worry about food, Tony. I can handle that. Go, go find our girl. And I'll take good care of our little girl here." He hung up and covered his mouth as the enormity of the situation came to him.

Tony hung up and looked wildly around to get his bearings. He made his decision and headed back in the direction he had come, sprinting as fast as he could but hopefully without causing alarm. As he neared a small alley he was suddenly grabbed by the collar and pulled to his left, tripping over his feet and falling heavily to the cobbled stone lane.

As he recovered from his surprise, a knee dug into his back, pinning him to the ground. He then felt the cold steel of a very sharp blade rest against his neck, and he was reminded of what Orli had said regarding his first greeting with Ziva: _If this is the Ziva of 2004, she would just as easily kill you as kiss you._ As these impossible thoughts flashed through his brain, a ghost from the past finally spoke.

"Give me one good reason why I should not kill, right here; right now."

 **Happy Veteran's Day. Hope you enjoy how this story is going. Lots happening in this chapter so I hope it wasn't too confusing. A few notes: for those who don't know who TJ Ramini is, for years he was Mossad officer Malachi Ben-Gidon who was famously on the Jordanian freighter Damocles with Ziva and then showed what a great partner he was by accusing her of murdering Daniel Cryer, at Eli's orders. He was in multiple episodes of NCIS and was later partnered with Liat Tuvia. So now he shows up on NCIS-LA; still Mossad but a completely different character but who still would have known who Ziva David is. They must really think the two shows have their own separate set of fans, and maybe they do but come on people! Also, I am aware that the new characters show up much later than June on the show, but I added them into the story to help emphasis McGee's growing frustration with Bishop and Gibbs. Things will be moving along now that Ziva is known to be alive and more importantly, Tony and Ziva are reunited. Thanks as always for your great reviews!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Sometimes I really hate my computer. Once again, I must grovel and offer sincere apologies for the overly long delay in getting this out. Again, my computer decided to stop working. After numerous calls to Verizon and Microsoft, with no satisfactory results, I took my laptop back to Best Buy and the result was I had to get a new laptop. Once again, I lost everything! I had written a very decent amount of this chapter, as well as a new chapter for In My Life, but it is gone. Sigh…this year must be better than last. I really hate having to recreate work I had already done, especially when I liked it. I finally got my new computer the second week of January so I am struggling to write a decent chapter after being away for so long.**

 **Thanks again for your tremendous support and I hope you all are still around. I only heard from about three readers asking if I am continuing, so I wonder if anyone is still interested. I am surprised no one caught my faux pas by naming the new female agent by the actress' name instead of her character name! I have since fixed the chapter, so all is well now in NCIS land. (At least my version of it). Still not watching the show in case anyone is wondering. MW did a lovely shout out to Cote and the TIVA fans on his show by pronouncing the sculpture David by Michelangelo as "Dah-veed" in one episode. But I must say, he looked like he gained a TON of weight in that episode. Hope he isn't living it up too much without having the wife by his side to monitor his food and alcohol consumption.**

 **Disclaimers: Not mine**

Hiding In Plain Sight: Chapter Twelve

 **Paris, France- 2 p.m.**

This could be the day…the day when Ziva's questions were finally answered. After weeks of living in the past, maybe now her present would be revealed to her. Finally, her elusive Tony was before her eyes and he was… _buying fruits and vegetables?_

Ziva watched surreptitiously as Tony roamed about the market, taking sniffs and gauging ripeness as if he knew what he was doing. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion at his normalcy. He was an intelligence agent; she at least knew that from her brief memory retrievals. Was he on vacation? Was he undercover? Ah, yes! That must be it.

She frowned as she considered her conclusion. She was perplexed that he had stopped on his way to the outdoor market and had bought a bright, pink balloon. Maybe he was going to use it as some sort of signal? Then she considered that maybe he was not alone in his mission and she was shocked by the wave of jealousy that coursed through her at the thought of him being undercover with another female agent. Before she could begin to analyze her reaction, she saw him reach for his phone. His handsome smile changed to a frown, and then the color drained from his face; the balloon loosened from his grip and set free to roam the Paris skies until it's buoyance ceased. She could see him speaking rapidly to his caller and then he hung up. She felt a slight concern as he bent over and placed his hands on his knees, almost as if he was trying to not pass out. He covered his face with his hands briefly and then quickly punched some numbers into his cell phone. Ziva watched him pace in agitation as he spoke to whomever he had called. She could see that he was emotional but she couldn't name what it was he was feeling as his expression changed so rapidly. Suddenly, he ended his call and started sprinting in her direction; so quickly she barely had time to conceal herself. As he came closer, she knew she had to do something…

Before she could consider the consequences, reflexes had kicked in and muscle memory caused her hand to reach out and grab the collar of the man rushing past her. The action caught him off guard, his momentum and weight throwing him to the ground. Without thinking, Ziva reached for the knife she had so lovingly honed and kept hidden in her boot; and was soon straddling the prone man with one knee jammed mercilessly between his shoulder blades. The small "ooph" and accompanying grunt of pain brought her no pleasure.

This man… _this Tony DiNozzo_ …she didn't know who he was or what he was to her; or she to him for that matter. She knew that they had at least worked together at one time, but didn't know where or when. Her memory snatches at times revealed a relationship that seemed to be steeped in intimacy and emotion; yet at other times it seemed to be clearly platonic and maybe even adversarial. She couldn't explain it, if anyone had asked; but she believed this man held the key to the missing parts of her life. The Ziva puzzle would be fit back together, one way or the other; or she or he, would die trying…

"How bad, McGee?" Tony frowned as he listened to his former Probie give him the news of the startling developments that had unfolded. He knew Ziva had to have been injured in the explosion, and with the confirmation of her previous injury when working with Jenny and the reminder of Gibbs' test with fate, he had understood there were possible medical risks Ziva could be dealing with. But thinking about the possibilities and knowing facts were two different things. Tony couldn't bear to think that Ziva could have survived and they found her; and then he could lose her again to a related post-injury condition. He didn't feel his grip loosen and see the beautiful balloon float away, free from its moorings.

"I don't understand half of what the hospital reported, Tony. Ducky is coming up to translate it for us, but the hospital did a CT scan of her brain and found something that has them extremely worried for her safety. That's all I can say about the medical stuff, I'm so sorry Tony." McGee felt like he was failing his friend; _both_ of his friends. What good was knowing she was alive if they couldn't find her in time?

Tony digested this news as his world suddenly changed. _Ziva was alive_. That was the important thing to hang onto to. Tali's _Ima_ was alive. He felt the tears come to his eyes. What would he say to Tali? He knew he needed more information and forced himself to focus on Tim and not his emotions. "Ok, McGee. You…you did great and I will never be able to thank you enough for helping to find Ziva. Can you give me the name of the hospital? I'm going to head over there now and see if I can speak to the docs. Maybe they have some clues as to where she's been or living…" He took a deep breath to calm his nerves as he listened to McGee give him the information he requested. "I'll let you know what I find. Thanks, McGee. I really mean that." Tony ended the call and then dropped his hands to his knees, bending over to get the blood flowing to his brain. The last thing he needed was to pass out in the middle of Paris. Finally regaining his equilibrium, he punched in some numbers on his cell phone and paced anxiously in a circle until the call was answered by his father, and he relayed the incredible news.

Tony hung up after speaking to Sr. and looked wildly around to get his bearings. He made his decision and headed back in the direction he had come, sprinting as fast as he could but hopefully without causing alarm. As he neared a small alley he was suddenly grabbed by the collar and pulled to his left, tripping over his feet and falling heavily to the cobbled stone lane.

Tony caught his breath, stunned by the sudden change in his trajectory. As he recovered from his surprise, a knee dug into his back, pinning him to the ground. As soon as he felt the weight of the person who had caused his change in direction he _knew_. He knew her like he knew no other; her very life force was as familiar to him as his own receding hairline. He felt her essence, her warmth; he could _smell_ her.

But he could also sense her anxiety and lay there quietly as he plotted his next move. He knew he would be an idiot to try to fight her. Even on her worst days Ziva could kick his ass. But it was the knowledge of her medical condition that stilled his actions. That, and not wanting to get his ass kicked, truth be told. It wouldn't do Tali any good to lose both of her parents…

Tony was reminded of what Orli had said regarding his first greeting with Ziva: _If this is the Ziva of 2004, she would just as easily kill you as kiss you._ As these impossible thoughts flashed through his brain, a ghost from the past finally spoke.

"Give me one good reason why I should not kill you, right here; right now."

Tony grimaced as the blade was pressed a bit tighter against his neck, trying to come up with something profound but knowing _this_ Ziva was not _his_ Ziva, his mind was blank. True to nature, he just blurted out the first thing to pop into his head and out of his mouth:

"Because I really, _really_ , don't want to die." He winced at how stupid he sounded, hoping he hadn't pissed her off.

The answer was not what she was expecting, and yet it didn't surprise her in the least. She felt her lips form into a slight smirk, a knowing smile as if this was something she heard every day. Her hand relaxed its tense posture against his neck, the pressure of the knife easing just slightly.

Tony felt the change instantly, and immediately rolled to his side and scrambled to his feet, moving back several feet from the woman he wanted nothing more than to crush in an emotional embrace and hold for the rest of his natural life. He eyed her closely, looking for obvious signs of injury. She looked as beautiful as he remembered, but the fading dark circles under her eyes and the haunted look on her pale face told of her harrowing experience; not just of the injury she sustained in the attack but the weeks of existing in a world of the unknown, of her life being a blank slate beyond that magic year of 2004. He licked the moisture back to his lips, noting that she was staring at him, her head cocked to the side as if trying to figure out what type of animal he was, and if it was friendly.

Ziva felt Tony roll away from her, but did nothing to stop him. She was curious…and desperate if she was being honest. She didn't want to kill him, just yet. She needed him alive, she needed him to explain himself and she needed him…

Ziva shook her head as she stood upright, his answer to her question ludicrous and yet somehow, it was expected. She tried to hold back the fond smile but knew she failed. She eyed him speculatively, not sure what to ask first, but she knew she needed to be in control.

"Why are you following me?" She asked quietly, surprising Tony. Tony felt his shoulders slump as the air whooshed out of his lungs, unaware that he had been holding his breath,

"I wasn't following you, Ziva. But I have been looking for you." Tony decided his best course of action would to be as honest as possible without revealing too much before she was ready. He remembered again his own experience with amnesia, and how Gibbs and Dr. Cranston had not forced him to remember or told him what had happened up front. They allowed for Tony's brain to make the connections and retrieve those lost memories on his own. But Tony was also anxious to get Ziva back and he watched her digest his comment, her expression uncertain but tinged with something Tony could only describe as hope.

"You know who I am, then. And you are Tony DiNozzo." Ziva had lowered her weapon, but she had not returned it to its hiding place, an act Tony was acutely aware. He brightened when she said his name and took a step forward with a big smile on his face; and then stepped back just as suddenly when Ziva brought up the knife again, in warning.

Tony could guess what was happening, as it had happened to him. Ziva had glimpses of her past, remembering some things, but not others. That she had remembered his name, if not his place in her life was a small consolation.

"Yes, I'm Tony. Do you remember what happened Ziva? At the farmhouse?" The question was not expected, nor particularly welcome, as Ziva swung up the knife again. Her face was flushed with anger and distrust and Tony cursed himself for doing what he had convinced himself he shouldn't do. _Too much, too soon._

"How do you know about that?' Ziva hissed, her tone menacing and Tony was alarmed at the sudden change in demeaner. Tony held out his hands, using the universal sign of "hey, I'm not armed and therefore I'm no threat to you". Ziva eyed him accusingly, wondering if this Tony had been the cause of her current state.

"Easy there. I'm not the enemy, Ziva. We heard about the explosion on the news. It…it was all over the news." Tony's voice caught at the memory of first hearing of Ziva's possible death. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and bring himself back to the present. Ziva looked surprised at his revelation, but his words rang true and she once again lowered his knife. She wondered who were the mysterious "we" he referred to, but was distracted by the blood she saw on the ground by his feet.

"You are injured." She said simply. Tony frowned and then looked down at his hand, dumbly watching the blood seep from the deep cut in his palm. He hadn't even realized he had been hurt in the fall, his adrenalin at seeing Ziva again overriding any pain he may have felt. He looked back up at her, willing his voice to be light.

"Can we take this conversation inside some place? This looks…well, if I was passing by I would probably call a cop or something." Ziva looked in his eyes, then returned to the injury to his hand. She nodded almost imperceptibly, stepping toward him quickly.

"Hand over your weapons, then I will take you someplace less…public. And we will talk; but first I will look at your hand." Ziva was so close Tony could feel her breath on him and it almost made him dizzy. He laughed ruefully at her request; no, he supposed it was more of a demand.

"Weapons? I have no weapons. I don't even have a weapon singular." His tone was one of exasperation, wishing for not the first time that he had not been so hasty to give up his and Tali's safety net. Ziva looked suspicious at this announcement and stepped a bit forward.

"You are lying. Tony DiNozzo always has a weapon!" She spat. Tony sighed and rolled his eyes heavenward.

"Yeah, NCIS Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo always had a gun. But I don't anymore. I gave it up. I let go of the badge." Ziva stilled at his words, her eyes becoming slightly unfocused.

 _NCIS. I let go of the badge_. Tony could see his words had affected her psyche and again berated himself for not being more careful. He wanted to bring Ziva back but not in the middle of a dirty alley way. He was stunned when she looked at him again with tears in her eyes.

"You worked with Jenny…" Tony closed his eyes in painful memory, wishing again he and Ziva could have change that outcome. Knowing later it had been inevitable did absolutely nothing to assuage his guilt at her death despite Ziva's constant attempts to make him feel otherwise.

"Yes…and so did you. And I really want to talk to you more, I really do Ziva. But can we please just go…somewhere else?" Tony tried to keep calm, but his hand was finally starting to hurt and he worried about infection if the wound was not cleaned properly. He also worried that Ziva might run if confronted with facts she was not ready to deal with. He needed her in a room, preferably a small room, contained. "Maybe you should take me to the hospital to get this looked at?" If he could get her to take him to the hospital she had been treated…

His thoughts were interrupted by Ziva's snort of amusement. "Hospital? It is not that bad, Tony. I will take care of it." She grabbed his good arm and began escorting him from the recesses of the side alley. Tony almost lost it when she touched him; he wanted so bad to put his arms around her but he knew she would probably break both before he took a second breath. She suddenly stopped, causing him to bump into her. The look she gave him he couldn't begin to describe, but it was bordering on "this is something you have done before and it pissed me off then, and it pisses me off now." She surprised him by picking up the few items from his grocery bag that had been released in his fall. Tony had completely forgotten about his purchases, even as his good hand was still clutching the bag. He watched her take the bag and replace the errant fruit and then she tugged on his arm again. Silently, he allowed her to lead him back toward the bakery. She then surprised him again by entering the premises and guiding him up the narrow stairs.

He resisted the urge to crack some joke about not wanting pastry right now, and let Ziva be his guide. He stood in silence as she led him into her tiny room that she had been staying for God knows how long. He closed his eyes as he thought how he had been sitting outside that very morning and all along she may have been just a few feet away. The irony that Ziva would be here, at _this_ bakery, was not lost on Tony. He didn't know if she had come upon it by accident as he had or if she had remembered being here…with him…and sought it out. In the end, Tony decided it didn't really matter and watched as Ziva pulled out some items to address his injury.

He practically fell into the rigid chair near him, drained by the events of the last few minutes. Ziva came over to him with a steaming bowl of water and some clean cloths. Settling beside him, she gently took his hand and began to carefully clean the wound. Tony winced and looked away as the cut made him gag, and then focused his attention on Ziva: watching her eyes as she peered intently at the cut, smiling as a she clucked her tongue as she always used to do. He watched her lips, pursing now and then as she concentrated…

Tony's musings were cut short when Ziva looked at him, staring into his eyes. She realized she was being studied and glanced up at her patient. She looked straight at him, searching his face, studying every line and plane for further recognition beyond his name and his smile… a memory of a smile that had buoyed her so many times as she struggled to make sense of her current state. Her eyes fell to his lips, feeling a longing that caught her off guard.

"We were lovers, yes?" Ziva's question broke the eerie silence that had fallen upon the room, the only sounds of dripping water, rinsing of cloths and the occasional hiss from Tony. Tony grimaced at the question, knowing he couldn't deny it in theory but wanting to explain.

"That word has so many different connotations, Ziva. It's complicated. We…we were always so complicated." Tony sighed in frustration. "We were lovers, but we were also so much more and so much less. We were our own best friends and our own worst enemies. We loved each other, but we wouldn't allow ourselves to love each other. Many chapters were written but we never got the chance to finish our story." Ziva looked surprised at Tony's honest and almost poetic words. She felt tears prick her eyelashes and wiped at her eyes. She didn't remember _any_ of this, it was a feeling that caused her to ask the question. She wanted to grill him for details, but she stopped herself. This man in front of her was not a prisoner, and she had decided the moment she took him back to her little room that he wasn't the enemy.

Ziva knew Tony could probably tell her everything she was missing from the past twelve years, but his words stopped her. She had hurt him somehow, and it made her sad to her shock and dismay. She returned to her task at hand, and focused her attention to the injured hand in front of her.

It probably would be better if he did see a doctor she admitted to herself. The cut was deeper than she had expected and he would no doubt require some stitches. Still, she continued to flush out the wound, if only to keep him close for a bit longer. "You said you heard about the explosion on the news?" Tony startled at the sudden change in direction. He sighed deeply, not sure if it was from disappointment that this version of Ziva also ran away from talking about personal feelings or from the agony he felt when those images flashed on the plasma in the bullpen.

"Yeah…" His voice was rough, his emotions raw with memory. "We were trying to find you, to make sure you were safe. Then ZNN flashed the picture. I recognized the farmhouse before the news confirmed where it was and who it used to belong to." Ziva looked annoyed, that it would be announced that a farmhouse owned by Eli David had been destroyed. Such things were secret and should have never been revealed! Tony looked at her quizzically, noting her expression, but thinking she was upset that the home had been destroyed, not that it's owner had been revealed.

Tony suddenly realized he had used a past tense in referring to her father and wondered if he had just screwed up. "Ziva…your father…" Tony began hesitantly, not wanting to upset her and caused more harm than good.

Ziva sighed and looked down. "My father is dead." She replied, her voice flat and void of emotion. She looked up at Tony. "I saw it. I was there…you were there. But I don't remember when or how." She grabbed the bowl of water and stood up abruptly, taking her things to the small bathroom. She didn't move as she felt Tony come behind her, but she looked up and watched his face as it reflected in the mirror.

"I'm sorry, Ziva. I'm so sorry." He said softly. Ziva's shoulders slumped, to have her "memory" confirmed. "So many have died. So many of our friends and family. I couldn't lose you too." Tony decided to not mention the survivor as Ziva was nowhere near ready to be told they had a daughter. "As soon as I heard about the explosion, I went home to pack and head to Israel…to be by your side. But I didn't get the chance." Ziva frowned and turned around to face him.

Tony took a deep breath, hoping he was doing the right thing. "We got word from Mossad that you had been killed. They told us you were dead." Tony looked down, trying to hold back his tears, the memory so strong and vivid. His knowledge and joy that it wasn't true would never erase that life changing moment.

Ziva considered his words and walked past him back out into the tiny lounge. She paced slowly, twisting her hands. Tony could see she was trying to work something out, and hope began to well up inside of him that her memories were starting to return. She finally stopped and looked at him, clearly confused by this turn of events.

"You thought I was dead?" It was a question and a statement, her tone one of surprise and dismay.

Tony stood still, her words conjuring up a memory of his own that he never wanted to think of again. He felt as if he was in a play, acting out a role that was in a scene far different but eerily the same. Taking a deep breath, he uttered the same words in answer to her question from seven years ago. "Oh, _yeah_."

Ziva looked surprised at his answer, as it made no sense. He had said earlier that he had been looking for her. You don't look for a dead person…

"Then why were you looking for me? Why are you here?" Tony hesitated for a second. His next words could cause things to go south very quickly or could be the salvation both he and Ziva needed. Taking a deep breath, he uttered the words that he hoped would end this nightmare.

"Couldn't live without you, I guess." He watched Ziva closely as she visibly reacted to his voice. She startled and then got glassy eyed again, staring off in space as if in another world. Tony became concerned and stepped closer to her, ready to grab her if she either ran or…he didn't want to think of any negative physical reactions to what was happening now, but he forced himself to think about what McGee had just told him regarding her head injury.

"You have said that to me before." Ziva's voice was hollow, a mere whisper that Tony almost didn't hear. She could see the jumbled images: Tony sitting in a chair…no, _tied_ to a chair. His perfect hair spikey and dirty from the desert and whatever else he had been subjected to. McGee was on the floor, awake and alert but pretending to be unconscious…

McGee? Ziva shook her head as the memory became more focused. They were all in a cell, but they came for her. Her friends came for her…

"I did, but this time I'm not full of truth serum." Tony whispered back, gently placing his hand on her arm. She didn't flinch, much to his surprise and relief. Instead, her eyes cleared and she looked at him, wonder in her face as she remembered that horrible time in her life.

"You saved me. You, McGee and Gibbs; you came to rescue me and take me home." All of it came back in a rush: Ari, Jenny, Gibbs, NCIS…all of it. The good, the bad; the funny, the heartbreaking. It was all there and as in the beginning, there was Tony… _still_. She stumbled slightly and he caught her, holding her close to him. " _Tony_ …" She choked out.

"Ziva, Ziva…" Tony mumbled into her hair as he held her upright. "I thought I lost you. I thought…" He choked back his tears. "All I wanted was to find you and bring you home." Ziva pulled back at that, looking at him quizzically.

"Come home…with you." She echoed his words, and Tony realized that once again Ziva was reliving the past. He took her hand, and as he did in the olive orchard three years earlier, he brought her fingers to his lips and kissed it. Her eyes widened in surprise, just as they had on that fateful day. And just as before, she gently removed her hand and placed both on his face, leaning forward so that their foreheads were touching, their lips brushing each other.

"I'm fighting for you, Ziva." Tony almost sobbed the words, so much had happened since the last time they had stood this way. He placed his hands on her hips, drawing her closer to him, trying to hold on and not surrender to the kiss he so badly wanted.

"I know." Ziva whispered back, her eyes closed as she melted into his arms. This was right. This was her life. Her Tony, her love. She could smell the ripening olives on the trees, the air cool but clear. She could feel the disturbed dirt at her feet and remembered replacing her Will into the box to be buried again. She remembered the soft kiss she gave Tony as they stood in the grove, a kiss growing in passion and desire. Tony had said the words she never expected to hear from him and she answered him back with those same words. They spent the next two days loving each other as if it was the end of the world, and in a way, it was. Ziva would stay and Tony would leave. Because she _made_ him leave. Ziva felt the tears fall as she remembered Tony walking to the plane… _the hardest 180 of my life_. And then when she found out that in their love they had created a child…

 _WHAT?_

Ziva jerked back, her hands flying to her chest as the realization of the truth came at her as a freight train. Finding out she was pregnant, trying to contact Tony, her call to Abby, the many letters she wrote with no answer, the birth of her beautiful baby girl Tali.

"Tali!" Ziva cried out in terror. Where was her baby, where was her Tali? Tony tried to grab her, to hold her still as she stared flailing around in agitation.

"Ziva, _shhh_ …. I have her. Tali is fine. I have her. I have Tali." Tony whispered the words repeatedly, until Ziva finally calmed down enough to hear what he had to say. She burst into tears, clinging to him in desperation.

"You have Tali? Orli took her to you? You…you know about Tali?" Tony looked grim at the reminder of how he found out he had a daughter, but he had no blame for Ziva. Instead, he put his own feelings aside and focused on the distraught mother.

"Yes, Ziva. After we heard that you were dead, Orli brought Tali to me. I must tell you…Ziva? Are you ok?" Tony's tone changed to alarm when he saw Ziva clutch at her head.

"It…it hurts, Tony. It hurts so bad." Ziva moaned. Before he could do anything, Ziva's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed in his arms, unconscious.

Well then…hope this didn't suck. It was not quite what I had already written and lost, but close enough. Please let me know you are still reading, it will make me feel better, LOL. Thanks, as always to those of us you have stuck with me.


	13. Chapter 13

**I am completely overwhelmed by the unbelievable response to my last chapter. Stunned and shocked might describe in better. Thank you for your continued support and embracing this story that is not always updated whenever one would like. I am taking the NCIS canon into a new direction with this chapter, giving a take on past events that were certainly never shown or even hinted at, but I always wondered about. This chapter will be much shorter so I can get something out there and again I apologize that I am not able to provide new chapters as often as I would wish.**

 **PREVIOUSLY ON "HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT":**

 _ **Tony had said the words she never expected to hear from him and she answered him back with those same words. They spent the next two days loving each other as if it was the end of the world, and in a way, it was. Ziva would stay and Tony would leave. Because she made him leave. Ziva felt the tears fall as she remembered Tony walking to the plane…the hardest 180 of my life. And then when she found out that in their love they had created a child…**_

 _ **WHAT?**_

 _ **Ziva jerked back, her hands flying to her chest as the realization of the truth came at her as a freight train. Finding out she was pregnant, trying to contact Tony, her call to Abby, the many letters she wrote with no answer, the birth of her beautiful baby girl Tali.**_

" _ **Tali!" Ziva cried out in terror. Where was her baby, where was her Tali? Tony tried to grab her, to hold her still as she started flailing around in agitation.**_

" _ **Ziva, shhh…. I have her. Tali is fine. I have her. I have Tali." Tony whispered the words repeatedly, until Ziva finally calmed down enough to hear what he had to say. She burst into tears, clinging to him in desperation.**_

" _ **You have Tali? Orli took her to you? You…you know about Tali?" Tony looked grim at the reminder of how he found out he had a daughter, but he had no blame for Ziva. Instead, he put his own feelings aside and focused on the distraught mother.**_

" _ **Yes, Ziva. After we heard that you were dead, Orli brought Tali to me. I must tell you…Ziva? Are you ok?" Tony's tone changed to alarm when he saw Ziva clutch at her head.**_

" _ **It…it hurts, Tony. It hurts so bad." Ziva moaned. Before he could do anything, Ziva's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed in his arms, unconscious.**_

 **Disclaimer: NCIS should belong to anyone but those who own it. So say we all.**

 **Hiding in Plain Sight: Chapter Thirteen**

 _Ziva walked along the wide expanse of the beach, relishing the sensation of the pristine sand squishing between her toes. She breathed in the fresh, salty air, smiling in fond remembrance of childhood summers at Dor HaBonim beach in Haifa. She shaded her eyes as she gazed at the azure crystalline water, the sun's rays dazzling in its brilliance. She waved enthusiastically to the two figures laughing and playing in the waves, feigning no surprise to see her mother and her sister Tali waiting for her, beckoning at her to join them. She felt such joy at seeing her family again, happy and carefree; such a sharp contrast to their everyday lives. This was the allure of the sea…it was a refuge against the hurts and slights that were always hovering and threatening to overtake you._

 _A loud crack startled Ziva, and she looked over her shoulder, seeing the dark thunder clouds that had suddenly loomed and gasped as the streak of lightning shot from the sky, as a knife blade inflicting a wound. She turned quickly to warn Tali and her mother to get out of the water but to her shock she was no longer gazing at the Mediterranean Sea._

 _Instead, she was now standing in a hot and dank corridor, the uneven stone walls dirty and stained with blood. She could hear the muffled voices of several men arguing and when her father's voice rose above the others, she strode forward and shoved her way past a crowd of onlookers that suddenly appeared._

" _Ah, Ziva. You have come. Sit! We have much to discuss." Her father was curt and abrupt, offering no sign that the woman he had just spoken to was his daughter. She chose to ignore his command and stood in front of him, confused to see him alone at the rickety table._

" _What is this? What are you doing, and who are you talking to?" Ziva demanded, troubled by the look of disinterest in her father's eyes._

" _I will give the orders, Ziva. I and I alone! Your loyalty is to me, and to only me!" Her father spat. A figure came forward from the shadows and sat near, but not next to Eli._

" _She never could follow your orders without questioning them, you know that." Ari chuckled slightly, giving his half-sister a fond but sad smile. "On the other hand, I always did exactly as I was told. I cannot say that it worked out too well for me in the end, would you say Ziva?" Ziva took a step back from the menacing look Ari gave her. She raised her hands imploringly toward him but stopped when a new figure joined the group._

" _Good day to you, Ziva. Do you still like your men dark or was that only for my benefit?" Michael Rivkin smiled as he sat down and then looked around. "Is there any way I can get a drink?" Ziva had been horrified when Michael appeared and spoke to her. Michael represented a difficult time in her life and it had taken many years to come to terms with the decisions she had made; and the decisions her father had made for her. What was this? Some sort of trial? And who was the defendant?_

" _Don't bother, Rivkin. She only has eyes for someone else, isn't that right, Ziva?" Ziva took another step back as Ray Cruz joined the discussion, shocked at his inclusion. It made no sense, none of it._

" _What are you doing here?" Ziva's voice was a mere whisper, her distrust of the man as palpable as it was when she discovered he had killed that woman. Ray just smiled and shook his head._

" _I have done what I could, but the op has failed." Eli David turned his head to look behind him, focusing on the voice from the shadows. Ziva gasped when Rene' Benoit appeared to take the seat by her father. She cried out in terror when Saleem Ulmann took the seat to Eli's left._

" _I will find out everything you need to know. Then it will be done." Saleem spoke to the Director of Mossad, nodding in the direction of Ziva. Ziva stepped forward, anger overtaking her fears._

" _What is it you need to know? What is this!" She yelled at the assemblage. Her hand flew to her temple, the searing pain almost bringing her to her knees. She felt the hand at her elbow and looked up in shock at her helper._

" _Elan?" Ziva's voice was weak and the alarm she felt by his presence further incapacitated her._

" _Yes, Ziva. You have displeased your father. He is my father as well, so you have also displeased me. You and I both know that you do not cross the Director of Mossad, yes?" Bodnar's voice was soft yet so full of venom that Ziva shrank back in horror._

" _You are not the Director of Mossad, Elan! I owe you nothing! You are nothing to me! I am blood, you are not! You will never be the son of Eli David!" Ziva spat back at him, stumbling slightly in her agony._

" _Yes, you saw to that, didn't you? Always trying to distance Eli from me, always finding ways to undermine my position in the family. Family first, yes? Family comes in many ways, Ziva. As you took my family away from me, I will take your family away from you."_

" _What do you mean, what are you saying?" Ziva cried, the pain bringing her to her knees. She felt herself go in and out of consciousness, sounds muted and hollow. As her eyes slowly opened, she took in her surroundings, dazed and confused._

 _She was now seat-belted into the passenger seat of a car…Tony's car. She peered at him, slumped unconscious in his seat. She couldn't quite focus and didn't understand what was happening, and felt rather than heard the movement to her right. Painfully, she turned her head to see who had brought this pain._

" _Elan?" Ziva was shocked and dismayed to see the rogue Mossad operative standing outside the car. This man…this inhuman beast…had ordered the killing of her father. Rage boiled up inside her but she had no strength to fight him._

" _I told you to walk away, Ziva. Now you must pay the price." The spit from the silencer was far louder than one would think, but it's distinctive sound was recognizable to anyone in law enforcement, or law breaking for that matter. Ziva flinched and felt the searing pain in her head as the bullet glanced off her temple. She raised her hand to the wound in pain, her head drifting to the left…_

" _NO! TONY!" She cried out when she saw the damage the bullet had done to her partner, her friend, her…_

 _What had she been about to say to him, before Elan Bodnar took away their chance? She would never know, she would never get to say those words that she had kept bottled up inside of her. For she had not been the intended victim, she never had. Her father, Michael, Le Grenouille, Saleem, Ray, and Bodnar…they had all had one target in mind, and his name was Anthony DiNozzo…_

"TONY!" Ziva felt hands push her back down into the bed, calming her but also in restraint. The French being spoken to her caused her to look wildly around, taking in the hospital emergency room apparatus and charts that were clearly not America in origin. How was this possible?

"Ziva, I'm here…try to be still ok? You have a head injury but everyone is going to take good care of you." Tony's voice was a beacon of calm in the internal storm raging in Ziva's brain. She looked at him in disbelief, as if he was a spectre from the dead.

"Tony?" She whispered his name, shocked that not only was he standing by her side but appeared to be completely uninjured. "Did you get him? Did you get Elan?"

Tony's heart sank as her words hit him, unnerved by the unwelcome intrusion of Elan Bodnar. That was three years ago, did Ziva think... _oh God!_ Tony realized that Ziva had again regressed into the past, perhaps thinking she was in the hospital because of that damn car accident.

He looked at the doctor who was staring at him expecting an explanation. Tony rubbed his jaw, not sure how to proceed. He knew that he had indeed pushed her too much before and was hesitant to try to make her live in the present again when her mind was unwilling to do so. He took a deep breath as he tried to calm her down but not really answer the question. He gently took her hand, an act not unnoticed by Ziva who looked at him warily. She glanced around for any signs of Gibbs. _If he saw them holding hands…_

She recalled the moments before they were rammed by Elan, sitting together at the red light, Ziva tearfully trying to make sense of the woman she had become; an existence that could have been so drastically altered if one Orli Elbaz had not entered her father's life. Her sad musings were cut short by Tony, by taking her hand and assuring her that he was quite happy with the way she had turned out. That had both surprised and pleased her in a way she hadn't expected. Their mutual attraction had been present from the moment they met, even if obstacles had always been thrown in their paths. Tony was quick with a joke and innuendo, but this was none of that.

Tony was speaking from his heart, just as he had when she departed from the airport to take her father's remains to Israel. She hadn't thought too much of it at the time, other than one friend trying to support another, but now she realized she had gotten it all wrong and she despaired at her unknown actions in Tel Aviv with Adam, shuddering at the thought of Tony finding out about her moment of weakness. She only grasped how important that declaration had been at the time in that instant in the car and had given him her full attention. She remembered she said his name, preparing to ask him to join her later so they could talk…so she could tell him how important he was to her… _to tell him…_

"Ziva?" Tony's voice interrupted her thoughts, bringing her eyes to his. "Ziva, everyone is looking for him, everything is under control. I don't want you to even think about him. Promise me Ziva…let this go for now." Tony's voice was low and caring but there was an insistence about it that made Ziva worry that there was more to what was going on than Tony was willing to share with her.

Ziva searched his face for any dissembling, but found she was too exhausted to worry about anything, much less Elan Bodnar. That thought was troubling to her, as she believed she should be trying to fight her way out of this hospital to go after him. But there was something different, something she couldn't quite explain. She felt a sense of release come over her, knowing Tony would be there to take control. Ziva David was never one to let others take control when she could do the job herself. She tried to squeeze Tony's hand tighter but instead felt her grip loosen. She moaned as the searing head pain once again appeared and she lost consciousness.

"It is time." The French surgeon spoke urgently. "I had hope we could get her consent while she was awake but we cannot wait for her to regain consciousness again. You understand and agree, yes?" The surgeon handed the forms to Tony; his hands shaking as he signed the consent for the surgery that could bring his Ziva back; or once again send her to the grave.

 **NCIS- Forensics Lab- 9:00 am**

"Gibbs! Can I please stop wasting my time…Director Vance…? _hello_." Abby's shrill tone changed in volume as soon as she realized Vance had accompanied Gibbs to her lab. Vance nodded curtly at the hyper woman, narrowing his eyes as he noted Gibbs going to her side; as if _taking_ sides.

The Director sighed in frustration, not understanding the dynamics of what was going on in his house. He was confused at Gibbs taking such a careless attitude regarding Ziva's whereabouts; a woman he had on several occasions likened to a daughter. That she should be summarily dismissed was incongruous to Vance's understanding of their relationship. Vance himself felt a familial closeness to Ziva David, originally because of his friendship with her father, but more recently because of their shared grief and his requirement of Ziva to bring an end to their madness.

Leon was not oblivious that his directives to Ziva probably were instrumental in her leaving NCIS in the first place, and consequently the unbelievable events that brought them to this moment. As Director of a government agency, he had to learn to not feel responsible for any "collateral damage" any of his decisions may have caused and for the most part he had been quite successful. It was the reported death of Ziva David that gave the Director the mental shake he needed to evaluate what he had done in the past and ensure that there would never be a repeat. That Ziva had been found alive was of great consolation, but the burden of guilt was still his to bear.

"Ms. Sciuto, I understand that you _have_ felt it a waste of your time to be searching for Ziva, despite being ordered to do so." Vance began calmly. He wanted to control this scenario and he'd be damned if he was going to allow a single, selfish outburst from this immature woman.

Abby's lips twisted in what she thought made her look like a little girl orphan in need of love, but the Director ignored her expression and held up his hand to stop her from speaking. "You will be happy to know that I no longer require you to continue your search for Ms. David." Abby's tense shoulders sank in relief and she moved back to one of her monitors, thinking that the Director was finished.

"Thank God for that! I have so much work to do, and I'm only one person and it was such a waste of manpower and my babies to keep looking for someone who…"

Vance cut her off before she could continue her speech. "I would remind you Ms. Sciuto that any task that I deem necessary is not a waste of time; nor does any of the equipment in this lab actually belong to you for you to have sole say into what they will be used for. I suggest you remember that." He glared at her, satisfied at her shocked look but not surprised when she started to appeal to Gibbs. For his part, Gibbs seemed to understand for once the seriousness of the matter and said nothing.

Vance started to turn away, and then stopped. "By the way, we no longer need to continue our search for Ziva because Agent McGee found her. Former Agent DiNozzo is meeting with her as we speak." He knew that wasn't quite true, as they had only been notified that she had shown up at a hospital and therefore they knew she was alive. He added the embellishment to get Abby's reaction and was rewarded for his effort.

"Wha… _what?_ " Abby's voice was a whisper, her normally pale face becoming almost white as the blood drained in her shock at the Director's announcement. _Tony was with Ziva?_ _Was Ziva going to tell Tony…_

Unable to cope with the ramifications of what had just been relayed to her, Abby dramatically swooned into Gibbs' arms, overcome with dread in what was about to come down on her.

 **Yes, I know. About half of what I normally write, and again a huge cliffhanger regarding Ziva. And yes, I really write Abby in this story as a caricature in this story because that is what she is on the show. Hope you will want to continue reading.**


	14. Chapter 14

**My sincerest apologies for the overly long delay in updating this story. Since the last chapter, life has been challenging and I had other things that must take priority. I've thought a lot about this story, and I thank those of you who have reached out to me, here and on Twitter, and have continued to re-read and leave a nice review.**

 **Like my other chapters, this one will flip back and forth from Paris to DC and the timeline will not necessarily be linear. Hope it isn't too confusing. Because I've been away so long, my reprise is a bit longer than usual.**

 **To thank you for your kind patience, here is the next chapter. Merry Christmas!**

 **Previously on "Hiding In Plain Sight:**

 _ **Ziva groaned as she turned on her side, not fully awake even as the sun shown on her face with a warmth that was comforting. She suddenly sat upright, stunned to see the sun so high on the horizon. Grabbing her watch, she cursed under her breath for sleeping the morning away when she had so much to do; feeling fortunate that she did not did need to be at work this morning. Marie, the lovely owner of the pâtisserie had not only provided her with a place to stay but with part time work a well. She had come across Ziva at the nearly food kitchen where she donated her wares and immediately took her under her wing. Ziva did not want to keep filching her food and clothing from innocent men and women who worked hard for a living, but she had no marketable skills, thinking assassin was not something that should be advertised; therefore, she gratefully accepted the French woman's offer of assistance. The pay was miniscule, but she was given the small room to live in and her meals were free. That was the deciding factor for Ziva, as she needed to eat well to remain healthy and be able to continue her search. That…and the need for companionship. Ziva had been alone for too long, and the friendship of this elderly woman was an anchor in a storm.**_

" _ **How bad, McGee?" Tony frowned as he listened to his former Probie give him the news of the startling developments that had unfolded. He knew Ziva had to have been injured in the explosion, and with the confirmation of her previous injury when working with Jenny and the reminder of Gibbs' test with fate, he had understood there were possible medical risks that Ziva could be dealing with. But thinking about the possibilities and knowing facts were two different things. Tony couldn't bear to think that Ziva could have survived and they found her; and then he could lose her again to a related post-injury condition. He didn't feel his grip loosen and see the beautiful balloon float way, free from its moorings.**_

" _ **I don't understand half of what the hospital reported, Tony. Ducky is coming to translate it for us, but the hospital did a CT scan of her brain and found something that has them extremely worried for her safety. That's all I can say about the medical stuff. I'm sorry, Tony." McGee felt like he was failing his friends. What good was knowing she was alive if they couldn't find her in time?**_

" _ **It is time." The French surgeon spoke urgently. "I had hope we could get her consent while she was awake, but we cannot wait for her to regain consciousness again. You understand and agree, yes?" The surgeon handed the forms to Tony; his hands shaking as he signed the consent for the surgery that could bring his Ziva back; or once again send her to the grave.**_

 **Usual disclaimers: Not mine**

 **Hiding In Plain Sight- Chapter Fourteen**

 **Paris, Pâtisserie Libellule- June 9** **th** **, 7 p.m.**

Marie watched the older gentleman struggle to get his little granddaughter to sit still and eat her dinner, when she so clearly wanted to explore the old premises. She scrutinized the child, nodding in satisfaction and relief at the similarities that told the truth of her parentage and made some sense of the crazy events that had recently transpired in her bakery and domicile.

She had been shocked when the handsome man she had mischievously pointed out to Sophie came bounding down the stairs, from _her_ private room of all places! His agitation and quick American accent were difficult for the elder Parisian to understand at first, but she allowed him to guide her upstairs where she found her dear Sophie, unconscious on the floor. Concern turned to suspicion, and she called the police as well as the _ambulancier_ , convinced this unknown person had inflicted harm on her charge. Her eyes had darted about the room, looking for the weapon he had used, or signs of the struggle she was sure had occurred, but all she saw was the tidy room Sophie always kept.

She stood protectively by Sophie until the medical help arrived, listening in growing confusion as this man, _Anthony DiNozzo he called himself_ , explained that he had been looking for Ziva and that they had a daughter together, and she had been injured and had amnesia, and… _Ziva_? Marie felt unsure; this man was not a raving lunatic and appeared to be genuinely distressed at Sophie's, no _Ziva's_ , condition. Could Ziva really be her name? As the police and medical personnel arrived, she watched as the American calmly explained himself to the authorities, showing his passport and stating that he and Ziva had been with…some organization with a bunch of initials. He instructed them to contact the American Embassy regarding a communication sent to a McGee at this strange place regarding the whereabouts of Ziva David.

Tony then turned his attention to Ziva, his expression etched with concern as they started an IV and slapped an oxygen mask over her face. The police had descended to the lower level to make the requested phone call and returned within ten minutes, giving Tony back his passport and offering much needed assistance. Marie felt relief that this Tony person had not injured her friend, and that he was who he said he was. She looked at Ziva as she was trundled away to the ambulance for transport. A child? Where was this little girl? And why wasn't she with her mother? She wanted to detain Tony and asked him to explain what was happening, but she knew he would not stay. She put her hand on his arm before he ran out of the establishment.

"Promise me you will come back to see me. I need to know that she is alright. I need to know…everything." Tony looked into her eyes, seeing her kindness and genuine concern for Ziva. He placed his hand over hers, and giving it a slight squeeze, nodded.

"I promise." Tony's voice broke, hoping the news he would relay to her upon his return would be good.

Now, hours later, Marie felt as if she was caught up in some strange novel: A love story that could not be; a man and a woman, partners in a dangerous profession; falling in love despite their efforts not to; a child born of that love, but hidden; a sudden and shocking attack that seemed to leave the child orphaned and sent to the father who had not known of her existence. The story of a new father and daughter, dealing with the sorrow of the death of a woman they both loved, but the man still unwilling to believe in its truth. A story of his journey to know his daughter and discover the _real_ truth about the woman he loved, to find her alive against all odds. And now this story that should have a happy ending, was teetering on the edge of despair as the man's love and mother of his child was facing a life and death ordeal.

Marie had listened to Tony's story upon his return with so many emotions she was spent by the time he had finished. She too had known the pain of _forbidden_ love; and she had felt joy and relief that Tony and Ziva had managed to be together despite the odds and obstacles that had constantly been thrown in their path. She was sad that Tony had not known of his daughter Tali until Ziva had been presumed to be dead, and she wondered why Ziva would keep such a treasure from him but felt it was not her place to ask.

Tony's realization that Ziva was still alive brought Marie to tears, making the current circumstances even more tragic. Tony still didn't know all the details, but he explained about the attack on the farmhouse, and how Ziva had been injured all this time, but suffering from amnesia. He chuckled in surprise when Marie had asked why Ziva had called herself _Sophie Ranier_ , giving a "G-rated" account of their undercover operation as the married assassins.

That Ziva had found Tony instead of the other way around should not have surprised him, even if she didn't remember who he was. But her significant injury, the cause of her amnesia and unexplained absence, was revealed in her collapse. Tony had only left the hospital once he was convinced that the surgery would take hours and they knew how to contact him. As much as he didn't want to leave Ziva's side, the reality of the situation was that she had already left his and he would only be sitting in a chair, alone. There was nothing he could do right now for Ziva, but he had a small daughter to attend to, as well as his own father. Necessity caused him to return for the time being; that, and the need to be with Tali, to not be alone.

As Marie sat with Tony, his face care-worn and etched with worry, she felt a connection just as she had with Ziva. _This is a good man_ , she thought to himself, and she once again placed her hand on his arm. "How can I help you?"

Tony looked at his new friend and ally, a sense of relief washing over him as he tried to process his new existence with Ziva in it. He looked around her bakery, fingering his bandaged hand with its newly acquired stiches, hoping to see something to eat. "If you don't mind, would you mind me having my father and daughter come here to eat something? I don't want to impose, but well, my Dad is pretty new at this and I don't really trust him yet to get Tali something to eat other than candy…" Marie laughed at Tony's nakedly honest assessment of his father's abilities.

"Of' course, they will come! I have plenty to eat, just give me a moment." Marie immediately stood up and busied herself in her kitchen. Tony sagged in relief and made the long-delayed call to his father.

 **NCIS- 11 a.m.**

McGee paced the bullpen as Ducky read with agonizing slowness the medical report relayed by the American Embassy in Paris. Ducky's pained expression caused McGee to stop pacing and stand in front of the doctor, sucking in his breath when Ducky looked up at him with concern.

"How bad is it, Ducky?" McGee's calm voice belied his nervousness. Deep down, he knew that if Ziva had been suffering from amnesia all this time that her injury would not have been a simple concussion; but denial is a strong emotion that can override common sense in all situations. Such as this one.

"It is very serious indeed, Timothy." Ducky sighed. "Our Ziva has a grievous injury, one that certainly explains her lack of recall to her past experiences." He paused as he gathered his thoughts as to how to offer an explanation in laymen's terms the medical crisis his former colleague was now facing.

"In simple terms, Ziva has an injury to a blood vessel in her brain; a weakness in the wall that causes it to create a pouch or balloon that fills with blood, and then it leaks once it has reached its limit of expansion." Ducky frowned at his explanation.

"It is not unlike an aneurysm, but from what I am reading it has not ruptured. It just keeps refilling and leaking in a continuous cycle. But at some point, the vessel will no longer be able to withstand such stress, and, I am afraid, completely rupture. This would be catastrophic." McGee slid into his chair, his face ashen as he listened to the medical condition Ziva was suffering from.

"This was caused by the explosion?" He asked, wanting to understand what he was hearing. He couldn't believe that Tony would finally find Ziva alive, only to have her die all over again because of this injury.

Ducky nodded. "Indeed, but I would imagine that every other time our Ziva has been the recipient of any sort of blow to the head, and if I recall correctly that was more often than I would prefer; I would think all of her previous injuries have contributed to her current condition. The pressure from the filling blood vessel would have caused debilitating headaches and I am sure is the cause of her amnesia, although the intermittent pressure from the enlarged vessel may have also damaged the adjacent brain tissue."

McGee rubbed the back of his neck, trying to process what Ducky had just told him, thinking of all the injuries Ziva had in the past, the ones he knew of and the ones he didn't but could imagine in lurid detail. Her most recent injuries of the car accident with Tony and the vicious beating she had taken at the hands of Ilan Bodnar were enough in his book, not to mention what had happened to her in Somalia. A fractured Zygomatic arch wasn't it? And now knowing of the severe injury she had received all those years ago while on the Op with Jenny gave him chills and adding to the mixture whatever injury she had sustained in the attack on the farmhouse. In the end, it didn't matter which of these many injuries was the culprit or whether it was a combination of all. He looked up at the doctor, trying to keep hope in his voice. "Does the medical report mention any type of treatment? You know, does it say if there is any…"

"Hope?" Ducky finished for him. He looked down at the scanned pages again, searching for the words he had just read. "They recommend immediate surgery, hence the alert to the American Embassy to find her. Time is of the essence, Timothy. Has Tony found her yet?

McGee checked his watch. "I talked to him two hours ago, telling him Ziva was reported as alive. I haven't heard back from him." He trailed off, not sure if that was good news or bad news. He certainly didn't expect Tony to call him the second he found Ziva. They had too much to get through first, and if she didn't know who he was, that would be another obstacle to overcome. _Obstacles_. It seems that the story of Tony and Ziva was one big obstacle after another. Not too unlike him and Delilah although of a different nature. Why couldn't any of them have an easy, normal life?

 **Le siège de l'Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris**

"Are we ready?" The Interventional Neuro-radiologist looked up at his colleagues, the masks and surgical caps hiding all features except their eyes. The concerned looks echoing his own, the lead Surgeon took charge, nodding to the anesthesiologist that Ziva was intubated and sedated.

"Let us begin." He looked over at the tiny catheters and coils that he hoped to introduce via the femoral artery and thread up through the aorta and jugular vein to the damaged vessel in the frontal lobe. They were lucky it was a venous structure and not arterial, but the danger was still acute. He swiftly made an incision in Ziva's left groin, quickly ligating and clamping to control the blood flow. Gently, he threaded the micro-catheter into the vessel and carefully made his way to the area of the injury. "Fluoroscopy please." He commanded, asking for a quick radiographic picture so he could see the path of the dye he had just injected. The injury lit up on the monitor, so small that it would seem to be of no consequence, but size was irrelevant when it came to the neurovascular system. "Hmm, it is almost like a blood blister. This will be difficult to insert the coils." He looked at his colleagues.

"I do not want to take the risk of artificially inflating and accidentally rupturing the defect to make the repair. I will make one attempt. If it does not work, we will need to notify the neuro surgeons." The room was tense as the doctor began to painstakingly insert the coils up through the catheter to its intended target.

 **Paris, Pâtisserie Libellule- June 9** **th** **, 8 p.m.**

Senior struggled to keep his young granddaughter focused on the food in front of her, instead of the being dazzled by her delightful surroundings. True to its name, Pâtisserie Libellulewas decorated with colorful dragonflies, fanciful in flight and whimsy. Tali was dazzled by the delightful creatures, and kept wanting to grab one.

Marie clucked at her young charge, speaking simple words in French which Tali seemed to understand. Tali obediently sat down and picked up her small biscuit with cheese. Senior looked questioningly at the older woman, who smiled in triumph.

"I only told her that she must finish her dinner, then she could have one of the pretty dragonflies. It is always best to set rules, yes? Eat first, play later." She chuckled and busied herself about the shop. Senior shook his head at his own inability to make his granddaughter listen to him, yet this stranger was successful.

"You have children of your own I take it?" Senior asked conversationally, thinking that was the reason she was so adept at handling such a small child. Marie stilled and became quiet. She looked over her shoulder, her eyes clouded.

"I did." She whispered, no explanation given. Senior felt instantly contrite at making such an assumption and started to apologize, but Marie immediately changed the subject and asked him what other kinds of food Tali like to eat. Senior shrugged and smiled.

"Pizza…and spaghetti. She _is_ Italian you know." Marie rolled her eyes, thinking this was not an appropriate diet for a two-year old.

"One quarter Italian, or is it one third?" Tony corrected. He shrugged as his own mixed heritage of Italian and British had automatically filtered its way into his daughter. What he wasn't sure of was the true heritage of Ziva's parents; a thought that didn't concern him in the least at the moment. He had been upstairs taking a phone call during the exchange between Senior and Marie but now was quickly putting on his jacket. He jerked his head to his father, signaling him to come to his side. Marie joined the two, keeping an eye on Tali who was still taking dainty bites of her sandwich.

"That was the hospital." Tony whispered. "There's been some complications and they have to do actual surgery." His voice was strained and distressed. Senior looked confused, as did Marie.

He looked back over his shoulder to make sure Tali wasn't hearing any of their conversation, then turned back to his son. "I thought she already was having surgery, what's the difference?" Tony shook his head at his inability to explain what was happening.

"They were going to try to do something with wires and stuff. Look Dad, I don't understand all of this medical mumbo-jumbo, but now they have to actually go into her brain, you know, from the outside…" Tony couldn't say the words. The idea of Ziva's beautiful head being cut open was too much for him to think about. He stared at his companions, then looked at his blissfully unaware daughter. "I need to go."

Senior put his hands on his son's shoulder, reminiscent of when he was packing to go find the presumed injured Ziva all those weeks ago. "Go to our girl, Tony. Tali and I are fine here for now. I'll take her back to the hotel after she is done eating and get her ready for bed." He paused and caught his breath at the unbelievable changes to their lives in such a short period of time. A change that he welcomed and cherished.

Tony turned to Marie. "I don't want to abuse your good nature. My dad will take Tali was soon as she is done if that is ok with you." Marie looked surprised to think that they were imposing. In the brief amount of time she had known Sophie now Ziva, Marie had come to think of her as the daughter she never had. She wasn't ready to relinquish that claim.

"They are welcome to stay as long as they wish. You are welcome to always come here. I am very fond of So… _Ziva_. I hope you will keep me informed." Marie's voice was soft and hesitant, unsure if her inclusion in this tight little family would be welcome. She was relieved to see the big smile on Tony's face and was a little shocked by the sudden hug he gave her.

"You are a part of our family, Marie. You took care of Ziva when she needed it most. You will always be a part of our family." Tony whispered to her, tears in his eyes. Marie looked away, but smiled at his words.

"Go, go make sure our Ziva is going to be ok. Because I want to tell her just what I think about her scaring me like this!" Marie tried to make light of this special moment for her, and Tony accepted it for what it was. Tony gave her cheek a quick kiss, which made her blush. He then went over to Tali and stooped down to talk to her.

Tali started to cry when he said he had to leave again, but her tears dried when Marie reminded her that if she was a good girl for her Daddy she could play with one of the dragonflies. Her sadness forgotten, she began eating her dinner again. Tony straightened and looked at Marie, a questioning look on his face.

"It is a long story, go now before I go myself."

Tony gave one last look at Tali, then gave his father a nod before heading out into the Paris night and making a return to the hospital where the life of his love hung in the balance.

 _ **I hope this has satisfied those who have been waiting for this update. The chapter was in the 6000 range, so I found a good cutting off point for posting now. The next chapter is almost done so you will not have to wait forever for the next installment. The medical stuff is a mixture of things I know, things I looked up, and things I made up. That's why this is called fiction. Thank you again for your amazing support.**_


	15. Chapter 15

**Thank you for the great show of support for the last chapter and this story. I am overwhelmed by the wonderful reviews and tweets. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am also very touched by the new readers who are also favoriting my other work.**

 **Previously on "Hiding in Plain Sight":**

 _ **Vance started to turn away, and then stopped. "By the way, we no longer need to continue our search for Ziva because Agent McGee found her. Former Agent DiNozzo is meeting with her as we speak." He knew that wasn't quite true, as they had only been notified that she had shown up at a hospital and therefore they knew she was alive. He added the embellishment to get Abby's reaction and was rewarded for his efforts.**_

" _ **Wha…what?" Abby's voice was a whisper, her normally pale face becoming almost white as the blood drained in her shock at the Director's announcement. Tony was with Ziva?**_

 _ **Unable to cope with the ramifications of what had just been relayed to her, Abby dramatically swooned into Gibbs' arms, overcome with dread in what was about to come down on her.**_

 _ **Tali started to cry when he said he had to leave again, but her tears dried when Marie reminded her that if she was a good girl for her Daddy she could play with one of the dragonflies. Her sadness forgotten, she began eating her dinner again. Tony straightened and looked at Marie, a questioning look on his face.**_

" _ **It is a long story, go now before I go myself."**_

 _ **Tony gave one last look at Tali, then gave his father a nod before heading out into the Paris night and making a return to the hospital where the life of his love hung in the balance.**_

 **Usual Disclaimers- not mine, but should be.**

 **Hiding In Plain Sight- Chapter Fifteen**

 **NCIS- Forensics Lab- June 9** **th** **, 12 noon**

Abby sat forlornly in front of her monitors, absently watching the flashing images scroll across the screen. Her earlier fainting spell had quickly resolved itself, as soon as Vance had started to call the EMTs. She then came to and deemed herself fine, just a little shaky and in need of a Caf-Pow! which Gibbs dutifully ran and got for her. Vance sighed in exasperation, taking her swooning as a stunt but didn't comment on it. He departed as soon as Gibbs returned with the requested beverage and he felt he could leave the woman alone in the lab. He gave Gibbs a meaningful look but didn't really expect the agent to understand his intent. He sighed in frustration as he got on the elevator, disturbed by the chaos present in his house. He still had no idea what Ms. Sciutto's problem was, and frankly didn't care; all he cared about was getting the job done and as far as he was concerned, her actions were impeding his progress. He wasn't quite sure what he was going to do about it just yet, but it was on his list of "things to do".

Once Vance had finally left, Gibbs turned to Abby with questioning eyes. "Are you ok, Abbs? What's going on?" Abby didn't look at Gibbs, taking the drink and gulping greedily at the caffeinated liquid. She didn't want to go into any sort of litany with Gibbs about her grievances against Ziva and decided her best defense would be to just pretend that none of the previous events had even happened.

"I'm fine, Gibbs. Just needed my Caf-Pow! What's happening with the Harris case?" She hoped by bringing up their current investigation, which was rapidly going nowhere, she would redirect his attention away from Ziva and what had just occurred, but her heart sank when she realized she had failed.

"Abbs, I mean it. What's going on? What's the deal with you and Ziva? I know you were upset she just left without a word to you. Hell: _I_ was upset, and she called me. And I know she contacted you at some point." Abby looked up in alarm at that, worried that Gibbs somehow knew about the phone call she and Ziva had shared, but confused as to how he would know; other than he was _Gibbs._

"How do you know Ziva contacted me, why do you say that?" Abby didn't want to confirm or deny his statement, but she needed to know what he knew. It was all she could do to keep herself from shrieking. Gibbs looked at her with the same exasperation a father looked at a recalcitrant daughter.

"You were wearing that damn scarf until you gave it to McGee. You didn't think we would all know where it came from?" Gibbs rolled his eyes at her seeming lack of memory, so unlike the Abby he knew. "Look, I know I didn't push to look for her because I really didn't believe she was still alive. But I'm glad to be proven wrong. She _is_ alive, and Tony has found her, according to Vance. Why did that upset you so much? What aren't you telling me?" Gibbs glared at Abby, for the first time upset with his favorite.

Abby's relief at the mention of the scarf changed as she turned to Gibbs, her expression defiant and afraid. She was afraid to admit to her complicity in Ziva's continued absence until she knew what Ziva was going to say about the incident. Why take the blame until the blame was laid upon her? Her defiance in that she should take any blame at all was warring with her guilt at Tony never knowing about Tali. She truly didn't know what to say, and she just stared at Gibbs, mute.

Gibbs sighed in frustration at her obstinance, and turned to leave the lab. He paused at the entrance and gave her some parting advice. "Abby, I don't know what's going to happen with Tony and Ziva. But if he should decide to return, with _her_ , you need to think about how you are going to react. I get that you were angry at Ziva, maybe you still are. But you are Tony's friend. Think about it." As he walked away, Abby's jaw dropped at the lecture she had just received. He didn't understand; none of them did. She _always_ put Tony first. That was why she was in the predicament she was in!

 **Le siège de l'Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris-9:30 pm**

Tony paced about the small waiting area, his anxiety rising with each passing minute. His arrival was met with confusion until someone with a fairly decent command of English could be located. He explained that he was the next of kin of Ziva David, that she was in surgery and he had been called to come in. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity a lowly intern emerged from the pneumatic doors. He explained in halting English that yes, Ziva David was in surgery and then stood there, looking at the visitor for some sort of response. Tony stared at the doctor in disbelief. _Seriously?_ It was all he could do to not throw his arms up in frustration. He vowed right then if he and Ziva should decide to stay in Paris, or _France_ for that matter, he would learn to speak the native language even if it killed him.

Finally getting through to the young man that _yes_ , he already knew she was in surgery but had been called in and hoped for some sort of update; Tony was informed that Ziva had been in surgery for about an hour and a half and that it was expected to last for a couple more hours. He was not able to provide any other details and Tony resignedly gave up trying to communicate further. He thanked the intern for his time and turned back to his lonely existence. The sofa was new and modern and looked exceedingly uncomfortable, but it was a vast improvement over the rigid metal chairs with their sleek lines. The waiting room was stark, and cold and if it was meant to bring comfort to the family members who were there for their loved ones, the designer had failed miserably.

Now closing in on midnight, Tony was buzzing with the strong French coffee he had been inhaling that would probably keep him up for the next week. He had long ago put aside the magazines and newspapers as they were all in French and he once again vowed to learn the language. He considered spending his time surfing the internet or streaming movies, but he was so afraid that he would run down his cell phone battery he didn't dare try. He huffed in annoyance as he moved to the large window and viewed the Paris skyline, the buildings lit in bright lights, the cars painting ribbons of color on the landscape. Paris was teeming with life and Tony felt at odds with the vibrant city compared to his own dull and semi-morbid location. He had never liked hospitals and this one didn't make him change his mind. He was suddenly drawn back in time to his eight-year-old self. Visiting his mother in her sick bed, watching old movies and waiting for her to die was not his idea of an ideal way to spend time, as a child or an adult, and from that moment, hospitals had been a place of death and not any place to be except when necessary.

His years in law enforcement required him to be in this setting in his capacity as a police officer or Special agent, and for far too often than he would have preferred as a friend, not to mention the times he had been required to seek medical assistance as a patient himself. No, hospitals were not on his list of favorite places to spend an evening but frequently in his life he found himself in such a place, waiting to hear about a victim, a suspect, a friend or a loved one. The past two years seemed to revolve around one serious medical event after another. Starting with the attack at the Vance home, then his and Ziva's car accident; the attacks on the team that summer, the sick children that first Christmas without Ziva, and then the drone attack that left Delilah paralyzed. Sometimes it was all too much to even think about.

The attack on Gibbs at the hands of the Calling was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. His response in dealing with Daniel Budd left a bitter taste in his mouth and was the beginning of the end for Tony DiNozzo, Senior Field Agent as far as he was concerned. It took two years before the curtain fell but he had really left the job long before that. He knew it and Gibbs knew it, which probably explained a lot in the way Gibbs treated him the past two years. But Tony didn't want to think about that. It didn't matter, it wasn't important. And the final insult, the final act of violence that brought them all to this place: the attack on Ziva and the destruction of a simple farmhouse in Israel. The decision had been essentially made for him, but it still took a little girl with hazel green eyes for Tony to finally cut the cord. As much as Tony wished the events of the past month had never happened, he couldn't help but wonder how long it would have been before he found out about Tali. It was a catch twenty-two: for Tali to be with Tony, Ziva had to "die"; if she hadn't been declared dead, Tony would not know of his daughter. This kind of thinking could make a person crazy, and Tony imagined he was as close as he could get right now. He shook his head to rid himself of such dark thoughts. The _only_ thing that mattered right now was that Ziva was alive, Ziva was in surgery and he needed to know how she was; and there was no telling when he would get any answers.

Sighing, he checked his watch, and doing a mental math-check, punched in the numbers he had delayed in getting back to until he had more information. He hoped McGee was at his desk and not out in the field but when his voicemail came on, Tony ended the call. After thinking for a few moments, he quickly punched in a new set of numbers and texted McGee on his cell phone. "Call me when you get this. Important. TD".

 **NCIS Bullpen- 6 pm**

"I still think Harris was into something we haven't figured out yet." Bishop opined as they got off the elevator.

"Ya' think?' Gibbs quipped. Given their inability to get any further on the case it was a sure bet that there was a _lot_ they didn't know. McGee threw his gear on the floor behind his desk, tired of how quickly this case was going nowhere. He was about to voice this to Gibbs when he felt his phone vibrate. Looking at the readout, he glanced up at the team leader, not sure he should say anything, but Gibbs had already noticed his actions and was eyeing him closely.

"It's from Tony." McGee admitted, dreading the eruption he expected to spew forth. "He wants me to call him right away." Gibbs got up and stood in front of McGee's desk, looking tense. He knew he hadn't been supportive in this whole "let's find Ziva" quest, but after his conversation with Abby, he felt maybe he should show a bit more interest. And he _was_ interested. Now that he knew Ziva was alive, he was very concerned about what had happened.

"Did he mention Ziver?" Tim was surprised at the question, and frankly at the emotion in his voice, but he couldn't lie. He shook his head in the negative.

"No, just said it was important." Tim hesitated, not sure if he should call from the bullpen or go someplace else that was quieter. Gibbs gestured for him to call, so the decision was made for him. He glanced at Bishop, not really wanting her included, but couldn't tell her to leave without saying why. Despite his reservations, McGee quickly punched in the numbers and waited as the phone rang…and rang…

"McGee?" Tony's tired voice was a shock and a relief to McGee. He half fell into his chair, bracing himself for whatever information concerning Ziva his former colleague had to share.

"I have some news." Tony began, not quite sure how to give good and bad news at the same time. As an agent, this had never been an issue for him and in fact, it was something he had excelled at. But now that it was personal, now that it was not related to a case, the ease was no longer there. It helped that McGee was already aware that Ziva had a severe head injury, but Tony doubted he understood the ramifications of what that meant. "I…I found Ziva; or rather she found me. Quite by accident." Tony took a deep breath as he heard the exclamation from McGee.

"That's great news, Tony! Is she ok, is she…ok?" Tim looked at Gibbs who was frowning. McGee suddenly realized he hadn't shared Ducky's interpretation of the hospital's medical report with him and felt guilty at the omission.

"Not really Tim. She's in surgery right now, been in there for almost four hours. Brain surgery. It can go either way." Tony gulped, trying to get a handle on his emotions. This was the first time he had voiced the possibility of Ziva not making it through the surgery and it unnerved him.

"Tony, I know what the medical report said. Ducky interpreted it for me. She's in surgery, she'll be ok now. Right?" McGee felt Gibbs move closer to him, his eyes questioning, asking to be included. Tim covered the phone and gave a quick synopsis of what Ducky had deciphered. Gibbs looked shaken and returned to his desk, sitting heavily in his seat. Bishop's eyes widened as she listened to McGee's report on Ziva's condition, and started to open her mouth to speak, but Tim turned his back on her.

Undeterred, she marched up to his desk, hands on her hips and her ever-present forehead crease deeper than ever. "What's going on?" Bishop demanded.

Tim ignored her and tried to talk to Tony again. "Tony, I just gave Gibbs an update. Where is Tali?" McGee thought it might be a good idea to distract Tony for a bit, and the question seemed to have worked. Getting no satisfaction from either McGee or Gibbs, Bishop slunk back to her desk, and plopped down in her chair, sulking. Reeves chose that moment to show up and immediately pulled up another chair and soon the two were whispering to each other, with intermittent stares in Tim's direction.

"Tali's with my dad, back at the hotel and she better be asleep. She doesn't know about her mom yet. I couldn't tell her, you know, in case…" Tony trailed off and Tim closed his eyes at the pain his friend was going through.

"Tony, you need to think positive thoughts. You found each other, you got her to the hospital and she's having the surgery she needs. Right?" Tim hoped what he was saying was true but more important, that Tony believed it. He heard Tony take a shaky breath on the other end of the line.

"Yeah, you're right. I know you're right. It's just so _hard_ , not knowing. I can't lose her again. I can't, Tim." Tony's raw honesty was punch in the gut to McGee. Just then, he heard some muffled sounds from Tony's end and started to ask him what was happening, but Tony got back on before he could utter a word.

"The doc just came out. I have to go, Tim. I'll, I'll let you know how things went." Tony hung up before Tim could give any parting words. McGee stared at his phone, shaken that the fate of Ziva David was about to be revealed.

 **Le siège de l'Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris-12:20 am**

As soon as he heard the pneumatic doors open again, Tony jumped to his feet. He looked at the lone man walking toward him, wearing scrubs and a lab coat. Tony searched his face for some sort of sign as to the outcome, but the doctor was devoid of expression. "The doc just came out. I have to go, Tim. "I'll, I'll let you know how things went." He felt his heart pounding in his chest, feeling slightly light headed. Why wasn't he smiling? Wouldn't he be smiling if everything went ok?

Tony stood mutely as the doctor finally reached him and held out his hand in greeting. "Monsieur DiNozzo, I am Dr. Gilbert. Please come with me and we can talk." The surgeon turned quickly on his heel and Tony had no choice but to grab his jacket and jog after him. So much for niceties, although he was relieved that the doctor's English was impeccable. He followed the doctor to a small office, with a desk, two chairs and a sofa, of the same design and décor as the waiting room. Dr. Gilbert gestured for Tony to sit on the sofa, as he swung one of the chairs around to face him.

The doctor began his recitation of the events of surgery without any preamble. "So, as you know we were not able to repair the defect in radiology and instead had to resort to open cranial surgery. We removed a small bone plate from Ms. David's skull to gain access to the frontal lobe where the injury occurred." He brought up a small model of the brain and shoved it into Tony's face. He pointed to the front left side of model, indicating where the bone had been removed. "We had to shave her head in this area but once the hair grows back the scar should not be visible."

Tony had been getting queasy at the lurid show and tell that he was being subjected to. A roaring began in his ears and he focused his eyes on the wall behind the doctor rather than the glutinous mass in front of him. He was suddenly reminded of the Peanuts cartoons, with the adult's words always being depicted as "Wah-wa-wah-wa-wah." Ignoring this crazy intrusive line of thinking, Tony picked out a small crack of plaster on the opposite wall; incongruous in such a pristine modern hospital. The crack fascinated him, because he couldn't figure out how it came to be. Did someone punch a wall in frustration, or maybe this was an old part of the hospital that hadn't been refurbished yet? The doctor's words floated in and out, but little made sense and none of it was comforting. Tony knew he should be focusing on the doctor and not this damn little crack, but he couldn't help himself. It wasn't until the doctor mentioned a scar that he came out of his reverie.

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" Tony sat up straighter, upset that he allowed himself to be so unfocused in the critical situation. The doctor smiled slightly and repeated his words. "I said that the scar should not be visible after time once her hair grows back in or out as the case may be." Tony stared at the doctor, absorbing what he had just said. She was alive! Ziva had made it through the surgery! He put his face into his hands, to hide his emotion at that revelation, not wanting to break down in front of this stranger. The doctor misinterpreted Tony's reaction, thinking the model of the brain had upset him. He quickly put it away and began to apologize. Tony looked up and shook his head.

"No, it's fine. I just realized that Ziva made it through the surgery." Tony's voice broke, and the surgeon again smiled softly.

"Yes, Monsieur DiNozzo, we were able to repair the defect, and Ms. David is currently in the recovery room. I anticipate she will be there for two hours and then she will be moved to the Neuro Intensive Care unit. She will be monitored very closely for the next twenty-four hours to make sure there are no issues with the repair." The doctor sounded confident and satisfied with the results and Tony felt a sense of relief that he hadn't felt in hours, days…no, make that _years_.

"What about her amnesia? And are there any other problems she could have from the surgery?" At Tony's questions, doctor looked pensive, giving the question serious consideration.

"Once she has awakened, we will be better able to assess her memory and neuro status. There were no untoward events, but all brain surgery carries risks. We are in a wait and see situation, I'm afraid." Tony wasn't quite as relieved by the doctor's word as he would have liked to have been, but he also realized he couldn't foresee the future either. It was just as well that he hadn't been given a shopping list of all possible side effects from brain surgery for him to stress over. Instead, he just nodded in understanding and acceptance. The doctor looked at his chart. "We are grateful to your American employer for providing us access to Ms. David's past medical history." The doctor frowned. "It is quite extensive for one so young." Tony felt there was a question there, but he was not inclined to elaborate too much.

"We both worked in a dangerous profession. Came with the job." Tony temporized. At least the mystery of how they knew that he was Ziva's medical proxy had been solved; not that it had overly concerned him, but it was just another loose end that needed to be tied up. The doctor raised an eyebrow, possibly at Tony's use of the past tense, but there was no more forthcoming.

"Can I see her?" Tony asked, desperate to see Ziva for himself, to see that she was alive and actually _here_. The doctor hesitated a moment, then shrugged his shoulders.

"Normally we do not allow visitors in the Recovery Room. But this is a special circumstance and Ms. David is the only patient at the moment." The doctor stood up abruptly and Tony followed suit. "Come with me please." Tony gathered his things and rushed after the sprinting doctor.

" _Does everyone run here?"_ Tony thought to himself, skidding to a stop when the doctor reached another set of pneumatic doors. The surgeon turned to Tony and asked him to wait while he spoke to the nurses. After an eternity, the doors whooshed open and Tony stepped hesitantly into the pristine surroundings.

The sounds of beeps and whirs greeted him as he approached the lone occupant. Ziva looked so tiny in the large bed, her head wrapped in so much gauze he could barely see her face. But he could discern the swelling and bruising around her left eye, visible evidence of the surgery that had just taken place. Tony took a deep breath and placed his hand in hers. He was relieved at its warmth and as he slowly caressed her palm and fingers his eyes wandered over the wires and gadgets attached to her body, monitoring her vital functions and in the case of the ventilator that was breathing for her, life sustaining oxygen.

"Do you speak English?" Tony turned to the nurse who was standing by, making notations in Ziva's chart. She looked up in surprise and smiled.

"Oui, yes, a little bit." She spoke hesitantly and with a thick accent, but she clearly understood what Tony was saying to her. Tony breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Ziva again.

"Do you know how long the breathing tube will be in? I mean, when will she breathe on her own?" Tony looked up again at the nurse, who was looking at Ziva. She shrugged apologetically and held up her hands in the universal sign for "who knows?".

"I cannot say for, for truth? No that is not right. Wait and see, yes? Doctor will know when." She was pleased with her answer and Tony couldn't fault her for trying even if it didn't tell him what he wanted to hear.

"Thank you, merci." Tony answered. She dipped her head in acknowledgement and went back to her work. Tony leaned over as far as he, his face inches from Ziva's.

"Ziva, it's me, Tony. You're going to be fine. _Fine_ , I can't believe I said that, as many times as I couldn't stand it when you said it yourself. I guess you always knew best after all. You've had surgery to fix your injury and when you wake up, you will remember everything. I…I love you Ziva. I love you so much. I have Tali with me. She misses her Ima." Tony stopped as his emotions started to get the better of him. He kissed Ziva lightly on the lips and then straightened up. He caught the nurse's eye, who was smiling at him.

"We will take care of your Ziva, Monsieur."

 **Not much Ziva in this chapter, but at least you know she survived the surgery. SURPRISE! Slight redemption for Gibbs, but I am not sure yet how far it will go in the story line. Sorry to the one or two Abby fans who read this story, but Abby is not a friend of Ziva in this story and is not a nice person. That's just the way it is, so no point in trying to tell me I'm wrong or to change my mind. This is my story and my interpretation. You are free to disagree, but it will not change my mind. And finally, Bishop and Reeves make their requisite card-board cut out appearance, only because to pretend they aren't there wouldn't make sense. Thanks as always for your great support, please leave a review to let me know you are still reading. However, please don't get too excited by two updates a week apart. The next chapter is not finished yet, and I go back to work on Tuesday. I won't have as much free time as I've had so please be patient.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Once again, I'm humbled by your reviews and support of me and this story. Also, thanks and welcome to my new readers. However, I want to make it clear that I have not ruined anyone. Any "ruining" was already done by the show in the way any particular character has been written or the actors' actions in real life. And fair warning: Abby fans won't like this chapter either. Read my "Life" stories if you want sweet Abby, Gibbs and Ducky. Thanks!**

 **Previously on "Hiding in Plain Sight":**

" _ **Yeah, you're right. I know you're right. It's just so hard, not knowing. I can't lose her again. I can't, Tim." Tony's raw honesty was punch in the gut to McGee. Just then, he heard some muffled sounds from Tony's end and started to ask him what was happening, but Tony got back on before he could utter a word.**_

" _ **The doc just came out. I have to go, Tim. I'll, I'll let you know how things went." Tony hung up before Tim could give any parting words. McGee stared at his phone, shaken that the fate of Ziva David was about to be revealed.**_

" _ **Ziva, it's me, Tony. You're going to be fine. Fine, I can't believe I said that, as many times as I couldn't stand it when you said it yourself. I guess you always knew best after all. You've had surgery to fix your injury and when you wake up, you will remember everything. I…I love you Ziva. I love you so much. I have Tali with me. She misses her Ima." Tony stopped as his emotions started to get the better of him. He kissed Ziva lightly on the lips and then straightened up. He caught the nurse's eye, who was smiling at him.**_

" _ **We will take good care of your Ziva, Monsieur."**_

 **Disclaimers: Not mine, sad to say**

 **Hiding In Plain Sight- Chapter Sixteen**

 **NCIS- June 9** **th** **, 8 pm**

Vance leaned back in his chair, digesting the report that McGee just gave him. After McGee's call to Tony had ended, Gibbs had insisted on calling the Director. Vance was just finishing up a meeting at a meeting at Homeland Security and he instructed Gibbs and McGee to remain at NCIS until he arrived, wanting the report in person. Vance was slightly surprised at Gibbs' inclusion but then considered maybe he had finally figured things out and realized that Ziva was not the enemy and certainly not to blame for him losing his Senior Field Agent. If only he could get Ms. Sciutto in line, he could finally relax, and they could all move forward.

Now back in his office he had listened intently to what McGee had relayed; his conversation with Ducky regarding the seriousness of Ziva's injury and Tony's own report of locating Ziva and her status in surgery. Vance drummed his fingers on his desk and checked his watch. "It's too late to call Tel Aviv. She's a pain in the ass, but I believe Director Elbaz deserves to be informed that Ziva has been found. Given everything on DiNozzo's plate right now I doubt he would even think to call her, and I don't blame him for that. I _would_ prefer to wait until we have an update of her surgery. Any idea when that may be?" Vance directed the question at McGee since he had been the last to speak to Tony.

McGee looked at Gibbs, then back at Vance. "Well, not exactly. I mean, the surgeon…I guess it was the surgeon…anyway, some doctor came out as we were talking on the phone. Tony said he had to go and hung up. That was…" McGee checked his watch. "Around six pm our time. I'm assuming that means Ziva is probably out of surgery, but Tony hasn't called back." McGee frowned, not sure if that was good or not.

"It's late there, around two am?" Gibbs cut in. "Maybe he went back to wherever he is staying with Tali. He's probably exhausted." Gibbs turned to McGee. "Did you say Tony mentioned his dad being there?" McGee looked surprised.

"Yeah, he did mention him being with Tali. At the time I didn't really think about it. I know Senior didn't go with them, so Tony must have had him come over." McGee shrugged.

Gibbs grunted, thinking Tony could have made a better choice and then stopped himself. _Who?_ Who else could have come to help with Tali while Tony spent time searching for Ziva? For Gibbs understood that would have been the reason, probably the _only_ reason, to have his father come. He wondered what he would have done if he had been in Tony's shoes: if he had Kelly as a toddler and Shannon was missing, would he have called his father to come from Stillwater to help him with the baby? Certainly now he would have, but back then the idea would have been ludicrous. With sudden clarity, Gibbs realized he answered his own question. People change, people grow up, own up to their mistakes and accept responsibility, for things they had done in the past and for new responsibilities that may come their way.

Tony had certainly grown up and for the first time, Gibbs felt a sense of pride at the way his former Senior Field Agent had reacted and adjusted to his new life. And Gibbs felt a sense of shame that he had never acknowledge his growth. Vance had been watching Gibbs and noticed the expressions on his face. He seemed to be warring with himself, fighting at some old demons and perhaps reconciling himself with the past, present and future.

" _About damn time."_ He thought to himself.

"Gibbs?" Vance broke into the Team Leader's reverie, causing him to startle. Gibbs just shook his head, unwilling to share his private thoughts. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Vance grunted, thinking now would not be the time to either grill him or bait him. He turned back to Tim. "Thank you for your report, Agent McGee. I have already reported to our sister agencies that Ziva David left the message that was found in Paris, so that inquiry has been closed and everyone can quit chasing ghosts; although I didn't mention she had been found. I also contacted our Embassy in Paris and was able to provide Ziva's medical records for the hospital. I want her to have the best chance she can and that includes her doctor's being completely informed of her medical history." Gibbs looked surprised that Vance would have even thought of that as McGee nodded with the Director's announcement.

Vance rubbed his chin, thinking about what their next move should be. "Just one more housekeeping item: I don't think DiNozzo will call with any updates until tomorrow, on our work time. He is much more considerate of our time than I would be of his, but this is his show. He's calling the shots. Until we hear back, there really isn't any more we can do. The question of the coded message has been answered; we now know Ziva David is alive; and we know that she has been found: agreed?" He looked at his two subordinates, gauging their reactions. He knew that McGee probably wanted to book the next flight to Paris, but from a work standpoint, there was no reason for them to be further involved. From a _personal_ standpoint, that was another story, but Vance wasn't about to bend the rules any more than he already had.

Tim wanted to say he didn't agree, but Vance was right. This was Tony's life, his and Ziva's. They had no right to intrude or demand information until he and hopefully eventually _Ziva_ , was willing to share it. With a lump in his throat, McGee nodded in acquiescence.

 **Paris- June 10** **th** **, 8 am**

Tony's eyes fluttered open at the pale sunlight streaming in through the un-shuttered window. He had stumbled back to the hotel around 3 am, only willing to leave Ziva because he knew she wouldn't be awake for hours and he was dead on his own feet. He was also painfully aware that he couldn't keep foisting his rambunctious child on his elderly father, as much as he was willing to take the charge.

He could hear Tali chattering away, and smiled at the joy it gave him. He couldn't imagine not ever being able to hear her voice, and he felt a lump in his throat as he thought of Ziva allowing Orli Elbaz to take Tali away to safety, knowing she might not see her again if all didn't go to plan. A mother's sacrifice. Tony knew that he too would fight to the death to save his child, but fervently hoped he would never have to prove it. His musings about Ziva and Orli reminded he that he should contact the Director of Mossad and inform her that Ziva had been found. _And Shmeil_! Tony threw his arm over his eyes, feeling like a desperate man as he thought about what lay ahead. He supposed he owed Orli that much, given what she had finally been willing to reveal regarding Ziva and Tali's last moments together and getting him and his daughter to Paris. He couldn't state with any sort of truth that he considered her a friend, but his feelings about her and her actions were certainly more charitable than they had been in the past.

He was conflicted about Shmeil. He certainly felt he deserved to know about Ziva but given the precarious and unknown nature of his current health, according to that last letter Ziva had written him, Tony didn't want to share his news until he had more information that was hopefully of a positive nature. Sighing deeply, he willed himself to get out of bed, as nothing would happen as long as he remained under covers and unwilling to face the day. Shit! He needed to call McGee too! Tony groaned as his body made rude noises in his attempt to sit upright. He mentally noted that a massage was in order if his life should ever return to a semi-normal status, normal being too much to ask for. He stumbled somewhat as he threw on some clothes and ran a hand through his longish, unruly hair. A quick tooth brushing and splashing of cold water on his face was the most he could manage at the moment.

"Good morning, Punkin!" Tony tried to sound as normal as possible as he greeted his daughter, not wanting to disrupt the little girl's life any more than it already had been. Senior's eyes widen in dismay at the dark circles under his son's eyes, and his rumpled appearance.

He got up and poured Tony a cup of coffee, but he waved it aside. "I've already had my quota for the year, thanks Dad." Tony half-fell into the chair beside Tali. He looked at Senior and silently signaled him to refrain from asking any questions just yet. Senior nodded and returned to his breakfast despite his desperate yearning to hear the news about Ziva.

Tony focused on his daughter, listening in delight as she described the _"pwetty gragonfries"_. "We will go back and see them soon, ok? How about now we get out of your jammies and get dressed and go to a park?" Tali clapped her hands in excitement and reached her arms up to be lifted out of her chair. Tony cuddled the toddler close to him, grateful for this gift that Ziva gave him. He smothered her in kisses, peals of laughter echoing through the rooms that were heavy with anxiety.

Once outside, Tony woke up more and regained some of his energy. He didn't nearly get the sleep he needed but he had functioned on far less in the past. Tony took Tali to the nearest park and played with her until the child was exhausted. Once the baby was dozing in her stroller he finally sat down on a park bench and gave his father the update he was anxious to hear.

"She got out of surgery around midnight, give or take. The doctor was pretty positive that they fixed the problem, but we won't really know anything more until she wakes up." Tony took a big sip of the bottled water he was holding, still swearing off coffee. Senior nodded as he listened to the update.

"What time did you get back? I didn't hear you come in." Senior wasn't sure if that was good or bad, just accepted that he had no clue he had returned.

Tony grunted, and leaned back. "I left a little after 2 am, maybe 2:20? I was able to see Ziva in the recovery room after she was out of surgery and I waited until they took her to her room." He adjusted his position, so he was half-facing his father. "I debated waiting until she woke up, but they said it could be hours, even days. I can't leave Tali like that. She needs both her mother and her father. I'm all she has right now. It would be selfish of me to just hang out at the hospital and leave you to take care of her. It isn't right. I can't do it." He gazed at his sleeping child, so innocent. He hated having her immersed in this but there was really no alternative.

"Son, no one is blaming you for taking your responsibility for your child to heart, least of all me. I wouldn't have minded if you did stay and somehow Tali and I would have muddled along." Senior looked tenderly at his granddaughter. "You are here for Tali in ways I never was for you. I am so proud of you, Son. And so sorry and ashamed I was not the man you are."

Tony looked away, as his intention had not been to bring up the past with Senior and he didn't want to discuss it now. "Thanks, Dad." Was all he was able to get out. "Anyway, the hospital will call me with updates, good or bad, and let me know if I need to come in right away. I'll still go during visiting hours." Tony looked at his watch. "They start at 2 pm, but I'll see how Tali is before I go. I hate to keep leaving her." Senior grabbed his arm.

"Isn't that why I'm here? You had planned to be searching for Ziva all this time, wouldn't you be leaving Tali while you did that? That you found Ziva right away doesn't change anything. Think about it, Son. Get rid of the guilt." Tony looked surprised and realized his father was right. It was a fluke and an amazing stroke of luck he literally stumbled onto Ziva, much sooner than he had anticipated. In light of the subsequent events, it was fortuitous that it was sooner rather than later, but that didn't change what had been the original plan. Grateful that his dad was so willing to help out and slightly jealous that Senior never seemed to have suffered from jet lag, Tony felt less like a negligent father and sighed in relief, looking out across the park. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the trees and flowers were in full bloom. Other children were playing on the various apparatus and surprisingly well-behaved, making Tony wonder if these were local children or ones travelling with their parents as there were a few couples in attendance as well. He sighed, his inner musing to his surroundings adding to the headache he already had.

"How about we call Marie and tell her we will be by for dinner. I can give her an update then of Ziva. And Tali can see her "pwetty gragonfries." Father and son chuckled at the child's pronunciation. Her English had much improved, to Tony's relief, making communication with his daughter much easier than when they first met. Senior started to offer his agreement when Tony's cell phone rang. Tony looked at his father in alarm and pulled out the phone.

"It's the hospital." His voice was low and anxious. "Tony DiNozzo." He answered the call, listening carefully to the report being given. "I see, yes, I understand. She can have visitors at the normal time? Yes? Ok, thank you very much." Tony ended the call and hunched forward, his elbows resting on his knees.

"They've taken the breathing tube out, she's off the ventilator and breathing on her own." Tony paused to catch his breath at this good news. "She's still unconscious but they are please with her brain waves or something like that. Not sure what it means really, but it's good she no longer has that machine breathing for her." Senior had gripped Tony's forearm as he relayed the message, relaxing his hand only at the end.

"Thank God. It sounds like she is improving. Did they say you could visit her?" Senior's voice was a mere whisper. Tony stood up and stretched.

"Same visiting hours as usual, but at least she seems to be moving in the right direction. Let's take a walk, I need to get the kinks out." Tony slung his backpack over his shoulder and took the handles of Tali's stroller. The little family strolled slowly down the street, taking in the sites and thinking about the future. Tony still wasn't sure when and how he was going to tell Tali about Ziva. He considered it would all depend on how their first meeting went after she was awake, and if she had her memory back. If she didn't know about Tali, there was no way Tony could tell his daughter that her Ima was back until he figured out how to handle it.

Tony rubbed his temples, feeling the stress of too many uncertain variables. He gave himself a little shake, determined to not dwell on the unknown and only function in the here and now. And right now, his daughter was waking from her short nap and needed something to drink. And a diaper check.

 **Le siège de l'Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris-12:30 pm**

It was the smell that first began to seep through the unconscious mind. The smell- and an odd pressure of cold air blowing through their nostrils. The odor of plastic was uncomfortable, but not painful. Muffled voices could be heard, but were unintelligible, accompanied by other sounds that could not be identified. It was almost like being underwater or being boxed in a closed container, and those thoughts brought panic to the occupant of the bed. Fighting to open her eyes and escape this strange cocoon of darkness, the monitors lit up, flashes and sounds alerting the staff that their patient was waking up.

 **NCIS Forensics Lab- 8 am**

Abby had been in a highly agitated state since she had arrived at work that morning. The team had an early call and were just now on their way back from the crime scene. She had needed affirmation that she had not done anything wrong, that it was not her fault that Ziva never returned and she never told Tony about Tali. She didn't think she could count on Ziva to back her up, assuming she ever recovered her memories. Therefore, Abby had decided it was time to share her side of the story and she knew the best person to share it with, someone that she knew would understand and take her side. Someone who only saw the good in everyone. She was confident that Jimmy Palmer was her guy, and had cornered him as soon as she arrived at the Navy Yard.

Jimmy was as affable as ever, but perplexed why Abby would want to talk to him about anything other than evidence. Still, he followed her to her lab and listened as she painstakingly described the events following Ziva's departure: the deep depression Tony had been in, his inability to move forward and barely function at work; the amazing support she had given Tony, his true friend; Gibbs' concessions to Tony's state of mind, bending over backwards to accommodate his mood and allowing him to work through this feelings at his own pace. Jimmy nodded at her speech, agreeing with most of what she said for the most part. He considered himself to also be a _true friend_ of Tony's and thought he had also been sympathetic to the loss of his partner, but he didn't interject. He wasn't aware that Gibbs had been particularly nice to Tony during this time, but then again, Jimmy didn't think Gibbs was particularly nice to anyone. And he never knew what went on in the bullpen, so he could only take Abby's word on this.

Her tone suddenly became angry and Jimmy backed up a bit, unsure of what he was being called to witness. Her ramblings back and forth between a phone call, a letter and poor Tony, McGee and Delilah made little sense to him, but after a few moments he realized that Abby was talking about Ziva and paid closer attention, listening to what was not being said as much as what was being said. "Wait a minute! Did you say Ziva called you? In January after she didn't come back?" Jimmy finally cut into Abby's performance, wanting clarification. Abby stopped her shrill account and stared at him in exasperation.

"Weren't you listening? Yes! She called, that's why I'm explaining all this to you." She pouted that Jimmy didn't seem to be following her convoluted speech, expecting more of him. She certainly didn't expect him to interrupt her with questions, only to exclaim in the end what a great friend she was for Tony and what a bitch Ziva was. Her game plan was not proceeding accordingly.

Jimmy stared at Abby, thinking about what he had heard her say to him and tried putting the pieces together. "So, Ziva called you in January, after she hadn't returned with Tony; wanting to know if Tony was ok, she mentioned she wrote a letter and wanted to know if Tony received it; and you told her to not call or contact him ever again? Is that what you're saying to me?" Abby sighed in relief that Jimmy got it, smiled and gave him a big hug.

"Yes, yes, yes! I _knew_ you would understand. I'm glad you agree with me that Tony didn't need her stupid little mind games. And for all I knew she was lying about being pregnant. Besides, she didn't actually _say_ she was, it was more like a threatening undertone. She hurt him enough, I couldn't let her hurt him anymore." Abby's relief at sharing her secret and relieving herself of the misplaced guilt was short lived as Palmer disentangled himself from her grasp.

His glare caused her gleeful raving to stop, shocked at the sudden change. "Let me get this straight: are you saying Ziva called and you never told Tony? Are you saying you believe Ziva mentioned or suggested the possibility of being pregnant and you didn't tell Tony to call her? It sounds like Ziva had been trying to get in touch with him, and wasn't having success. She called you for help and you told her to go away, forever? Is that what you are saying?" Jimmy's tone was harsh, and Abby shrunk back, now realizing her plan had backfired.

"You don't understand, Jimmy. She hurt Tony! I couldn't let her hurt him again. A friend would understand that!" Jimmy's eyes opened wide at her insinuation that he wasn't Tony's friend. He stepped forward, his anger as shocking to him as it was Abby.

"How dare you interfere and make decisions for Tony! You aren't his mother, and I don't think you're much of a friend either. You've never liked how close Tony and Ziva were, always insisting that they should never get together in any sort of romantic way." Jimmy stopped and took a deep breath. "You blamed Ziva for Tony never finding out about Tali until she showed up after Ziva was killed. As far as I'm concerned you are just as much to blame, if not more! You've finally told the truth, and there will be consequences. I…I can't believe you did this, Abby. I just can't. I need to go." Jimmy abruptly turned and stomped out of the lab, leaving a stunned and broken Abby in his wake.

 **Le siège de l'Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris-2 pm**

Tony arrived at the hospital, excited and stressed at the same time. He had made his calls to both Orli Elbaz and to McGee but with little success. In the case of the former, he couldn't get anyone to connect him to her office and her private line, which she had given him under the swear of secrecy, also went unanswered. He didn't feel comfortable leaving a message about Ziva or even his name, so he ended the call without sharing any news.

He wasn't surprised he didn't get McGee at the first try. They were probably working a case, and while he knew they were waiting for his update, at least McGee was, he also knew that work couldn't be put aside for what he thought would probably be considered a personal call. Hereafter, he decided that the two of them would work out some sort of scheduled communications.

His arrival at the Neuro ICU found a flurry of activity at Ziva's bedside and he wasn't allowed to enter. He wasn't given any explanation and Tony was distressed as he paced in the waiting room, unable to understand what was happening with Ziva. Things had been moving in the right direction, what could have gone wrong? Tony stared at the door, willing it to open and for some sort of explanation to be given. After an agonizing forty-five minutes, Tony was finally greeted and led to another small room. His hopes fell as he realized he was about to be given bad news. Taking a deep breath, he followed on shaky legs to destination, convinced that his world was about to end.

Once seated on the same type of uncomfortable sofa as before, the surgeon he had spoken to whisked into the room, his lab coat whipping around him. Tony sat back, not sure he wanted to see another gross model of the brain, but the surgeons' hands were empty.

"Monsieur DiNozzo, we have some news for you. Ms. David has regained consciousness. We have kept you waiting as we performed a thorough neuro exam. I am pleased to say that there appear to be no untoward affects from the surgery, and her memories appear to be intact. We are of' course, unable to determine if there is any memory loss of certain past events." He paused, as Tony jumped up, looking at him in surprise.

"She's awake, she…she remembers?" Tony's voice was shaking, the shock of what he had been expecting to hear wiped away. The surgeon smiled, and stood as well, putting his hand on Tony's shoulder to ground him.

"Yes, she is awake and yes, she remembers. She is asking for you…and for someone named Tali."

 **Happy day! Not a surprise, I guess. I realized I hadn't had Palmer back in the story since the first chapters, and he was the perfect foil for Abby. Sorry again to Abby fans, but then again, I'm not sorry. Don't take it personally. And yes, I know that Jackson Gibbs has died on the show. The "now" was more about Gibbs and his final relationship than the "now" as in today. I also hope you enjoyed my little sort of Easter eggs throughout the story. Please enjoy and leave a review is you are so inclined.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Thanks as always for the great response. I had a very busy three weeks, so couldn't post sooner than this. If anyone speaks or reads Spanish can you please tell me what my nice Spanish reviewer is saying?**

 _ **Jimmy stopped and took a deep breath. "You blamed Ziva for Tony never finding out about Tali until she showed up after Ziva was killed. As far as I'm concerned you are just as much to blame, if not more! You've finally told the truth, and there will be consequences. I…I can't believe you did this, Abby. I just can't. I need to go." Jimmy abruptly turned and stomped out of the lab, leaving a stunned and broken Abby in his wake.**_

" _ **Monsieur DiNozzo, we have some news for you. Ms. David has regained consciousness. We have kept you waiting as we performed a thorough neuro exam. I am pleased to say that there appear to be no untoward affects from the surgery, and her memories appear to be intact. We are of' course, unable to determine if there is any memory loss of certain past events." He paused, as Tony jumped up, looking at him in surprise.**_

" _ **She's awake, she…she remembers?" Tony's voice was shaking, the shock of what he had been expecting to hear wiped away. The surgeon smiled, and stood as well, putting his hand on Tony's shoulder to ground him.**_

" _ **Yes, she is awake and yes, she remembers. She is asking for you…and for someone named Tali."**_

 **Disclaimers: Should be mine, aren't, life sucks.**

 **Hiding In Plain Sight- Chapter Seventeen**

 **Le siège de l'Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris-3 pm**

Tony couldn't believe what he was hearing, so unexpected was this news. "She's awake, she…she remembers?" he repeated, positive he must have misunderstood what the doctor was saying. He put his head in his hands, so overwhelmed by the turn of events. He had dejectedly imagined sitting by Ziva's bedside for days, waiting for her to open her eyes. To have it happen so soon was a miracle as far as he was concerned. The doctor awkwardly patted his shoulder, attempting to calm him down.

"Yes, Monsieur, she knows who she is, and at least the month and year. The day was elusive but understandable under the circumstances. But I must caution you." The doctor paused as Tony's raised his head, alarmed by the doctor's change in tone.

"Yes, she has just woken up, but she is under many medications; for pain and anxiety. She will be very drowsy when you see her. Please do not be alarmed, it is expected. But also, do not ask her many questions, yes? She has been through risky surgery and has much healing to do. We do not want her to be stressed or upset in any way." Tony nodded in understanding, silently chastising himself for having a folly of a vision of Ziva sitting up in a chair, sipping tea and watching the Sound of Music.

"I get it, I do. I'll, I won't ask her anything and I'll try to keep her calm, but what if she keeps asking questions, especially about Tali? I don't think it would be good to bring Tali here, do you?" The doctor had been nodding in agreement as Tony talked, but looked unsure when he mentioned Tali.

"I know Ms. David asked for someone named Tali, but I do not know who this person is. Please, who is Tali?" Tony smiled softly as he thought of his beautiful daughter; no, _their_ beautiful daughter.

"Tali is our daughter. She was with Ziva right before she was injured in the attack. She's two years old." Tony shuddered at the reminder of what Tali had to go through those first days, until she was at his side.

"Ah, I see. No, we would not allow small children to come to the intensive care unit. Perhaps when she is moved to another section of the hospital." The doctor shrugged. What happened elsewhere in the hospital was not his concern.

Tony straightened up, not wanting to waste another precious moment of his visiting hours. "Can I go in now? I mean, are they done in there doing whatever they were doing?" He winced, thinking his words might be construed as slightly insulting but he was so nervous and anxious he couldn't think straight. Fortunately, the doctor did not notice his faux pas or at least take offence.

"I will check and be back in a few moments. The nurses were just finishing up with Ms. David when I came out to speak to you." The doctor shook Tony's hand and took off, his same fast pace as before. It was all Tony could do to not run back to the waiting area, but he didn't want to call too much attention to himself or raise any alarms. As he started to follow the doctor his cell phone rang. Tony hesitated in answering the call but when he saw it was from McGee, he knew he had to take it. He owed Tim that much and he had called him almost two hours ago. He should have expected him to see the missed call and return it as soon as he could.

 **NCIS- 9 am**

McGee paced outside on the quadrangle, as he waited for Tony to answer his cell phone. He had seen the call two hours earlier, but they had been called out on an early case; a particularly gruesome axe job that even had Gibbs pale around the gills. Tim knew without being told that to step away and take the call would not be appreciated. The morning was already hot, and his nerves were frayed as it was. Gibbs was in a foul mood…hell, _everyone_ was acting like they were possessed or something. He needed to take a break from the tense atmosphere in the bullpen as much as he was anxious to hear what Tony had to say; and somewhat concerned if he was being honest with himself. Brain surgery was no cake walk, and after discussing it in more detail with Ducky, he was less positive about Ziva's chances than he had been in the beginning.

Ducky hadn't exactly painted a gloomy outlook, but he was honest with all the possible things that could go wrong. Seeing how quiet and pale McGee had become during his dissertation, Ducky had rushed to assure him that some patients do exceedingly well with the surgery, and of' course Ziva would be just fine, he was _sure_. But the seed had been planted and McGee was now convinced that things had not gone well for Ziva and this call from Tony was confirmation of the unwelcome news.

"Come on, Tony! You called me, now answer the damn phone!" Tim grumbled to himself. He wished Tony had left a voice mail, giving some indication of what was happening. The fact that he hadn't only cemented McGee's sense of doom. He was determined to let it ring out, and leave his own message directing Tony to call him right back. Just as the phone was about to go to voice mail, it was finally answered.

"Tony? Tony are you there?" McGee practically yelled into his cell, and then looked around in alarm. He needed to calm down and take the call to a more private location. Ziva's return from the dead had not been shared beyond the members of the team as far as he knew, and he damn sure he was not going to be the one to announce it to the rest of the Navy Yard.

"Hey, Tim. Sorry it took me so long to answer. I'm at the hospital right now." Tony's voice was hushed, slightly rushed, and sounding a bit out of breath.

"Are you ok? Is Ziva, is Ziva ok?" Tim had frowned at the way Tony sounded, not sure how to describe it, other than _not normal_.

"Ziva's awake, Tim. I'm getting ready to go in and see her." Tony paused as his voice caught. "The doc said she remembers who she is, and everything looks good from a surgery standpoint. She's still weak and medicated so I'm not sure how long I'll be able to see her and talk to her, or even if she will be able to talk to me, you know." Tony took a deep breath, everything rushing out.

Tim had listened to Tony's update, his heart rate speeding up and then normalizing when he understood what Tony was saying. He had been walking around the perimeter of the grounds and slid onto the first bench he came to, needing to sit down and absorb what he was hearing. The heat of the morning sun coupled with his nervous pacing was causing him to perspire and he struggled out of his jacket while cradling the phone.

"Tony, I can't tell you how happy I am to hear this. I, I was really worried." Tim tossed his jacket aside and closed his eyes, thinking of what they had all been through since that horrible night in May. As devastated as Tim had been, he could in no way equate what he was feeling to Tony. From a fiery death to a new life in Paris: McGee likened Ziva to a Phoenix, reborn from the ashes and given a second chance. Or was it a third chance or perhaps even a fourth chance? How many times had they thought Ziva was dead or at least never to return to the team? McGee shuddered as he remembered those events, and again considered the effect on Tony. He should have realized then, when they thought Ziva had gone down with the Damocles, that Tony was in love with her, or maybe it was only a very strong in _like_ with Ziva at the time. He shrugged, he was clueless then and apparently clueless up until the moment Tali showed up. He should have known: Tony only bragged about the relationships that weren't anything special to him. He had never even kidded about seeing Ziva or doing… _other things_ …with her. That should have been a major red flag. Tim shrugged as his own ineptitude to figure out the Tony/Ziva conundrum and listened as Tony explained in more detail what he knew.

"She asked for Tali." Tony blurted out suddenly, causing McGee to suck in his breath.

"Have you said anything to Tali yet, you know; about her mom?" McGee couldn't remember if they had even discussed when or how Tony was going to tell Tali that Ziva had returned. He knew it all depended on the outcome of the surgery but even as Tony planned and talked to Tim about the proposed trip, the subject hadn't come up. Tim frowned; how do you even begin to explain to a two-year old about a mother that disappears and then comes back? He doubted she understood what death was and Tony mentioned that Orli Elbaz had only said she had been told her mother had gone away. Tony was clearly thinking the same thing as he broke into his thoughts.

"I haven't, and I have no idea how I'm going to tell her." Tony rubbed his jaw. "I have to admit that I still refer to Ziva as if she's alive. You know; 'Ima loves you very much', that sort of thing. I doubt Tali would even understand the difference if I said _loved_ versus loves, you know? She's just a baby, and her life has already been tossed upside down. I, I really don't know what to do." Tony admitting his fears and concerns for his child's well-being reminded McGee of just how much had changed. Tony and Ziva having a baby had been a major adjustment for him; but Tony being a _father_ was a revelation.

"Tony, you've been amazing with Tali. I can't tell you how impressed I am with how you have handled being a dad and taking care of Tali on your own. You should be proud of what you've been able to do so far; I know you'll do the right thing with Tali and Ziva." McGee could sense the uncertainty in his friend and hoped he had bolstered his confidence a little bit. He could hear Tony sigh deeply on the other end, chuckling ruefully.

"Thanks, Tim. Not sure I've been amazing, but I appreciate the words of encouragement. Something tells me I'm going to need all the encouragement I can get."

Tim nodded in relief, glad he got Tony a bit out of his funk. "You can always count on me, Tony. I've got your back." McGee looked up to see Palmer heading in his direction, his face full of fury. "Hey, Tony. I need to go. Let me know how things go with Ziva when you see her. Call me anytime, and leave a message next time, ok?"

Tony chuckled again at the slight rebuke. "Will do. They're signaling for me to come back now anyway. Thanks, Tim. For being a good friend."

McGee ended the call and waited for Palmer to reach him, wondering what in the world had gotten the young man so riled up.

 **Tel Aviv, Mossad Headquarters- 4pm**

Orli Elbaz sat back and digested what she had just read in the private files of Eli David regarding one Irena Katz. She had seen it before, many years ago; but it had no real context or importance to her at the time. And the file had not been hers to read: she had merely seen it on the desk of her superior who had happened to be her former lover.

She had dismissed the woman as a weakness on his part, a small task given to an inconsequential person. It didn't take great skill to hold back mail from the sender or the receiver, and Orli knew at the time that this woman's only real asset were her assets. Eli David was not a romantic being, but he was highly sexual and never could look away from a beautiful woman. Orli had been on the receiving end of that attention and she fell hard, for his status and pure maleness. She chuckled at her naivete, thinking Eli David actually loved her. For she in fact had fallen in love with him, despite him being married and having two daughters and a son. She had felt no remorse in the breakup of his marriage at the time, because she was young, immature and felt she could do no wrong.

Years later she regretted her actions, not merely for the family that had been lost but for the unwanted attention it brought on Ziva. Orli often felt some responsibility for Ziva's initiation into Mossad, despite Ziva's insistence that she wanted it. Eli had lost his family, but he would not relinquish his hold on his soldier. Ziva had once told her that she stayed as faithful as she did at the time because it was the only way her father paid attention to her.

Orli sighed, saddened by the evolution of Eli David. She had been empathetic to Ziva's need for his approval, for his love. She had desired the same, only to see it wax and wane; her worthiness, _her necessity_ , determined by factors that were often beyond her control.

Still, she remained loyal; if not to Eli David but to Mossad. This was her life, she had no other. And she had been grateful and relieved that Ziva had somehow escaped the Mossad curse and found some inner and outer happiness.

Then the unthinkable happened.

Orli eyed the antique clock on her credenza, smiling softly at it's intricate carvings. A relic of a time past, when she had a family that loved her. Her thoughts wandered to Tony, picturing him running all over Paris and grabbing every female with dark curly hair as he searched for the mother of his child. The idea was ludicrous and yet she could see it in her mind's eye. She chuckled softly, wondering how many slaps in the face he may have received over this imagined behavior. A soft knock on her door interrupted her musings.

"Come."

The door opened slowly, revealing a middle-aged man of non-descript features: the perfect Mossad Officer. Orli leaned forward, clasping her hands in front of her. "Ah, yes Laban. What do you have for me?"

Laban Seidman quietly closed the door behind him and took the proffered seat.

"I have found Irena Katz."

 **NCIS- Quadrangle**

"Unbelievable, just freaking unbelievable!" Jimmy exploded when he reached McGee. Tim stepped back in alarm, not ever having seen the young man so riled up.

"What's going on, why are you so angry? And who are you angry with?" Tim spoke calmly to diffuse the situation and wondered briefly if he was the cause. His quiet voice had the desired effect and Jimmy looked at him with embarrassment.

"I am _so_ sorry, Tim. I didn't mean to yell at you like that. But I am just…so…mad!" He sat hard on the bench, his fists held so tightly his knuckles were turning white.

Tim sat down again, a bit away from him, but close enough that they could talk in whispers. "Tell me what happened." He asked again, hoping to get to the bottom on this.

Jimmy scrubbed at his face in frustration. He turned to Tim, his eyes emotional. "Do you remember how Abby was always telling Tony that Ziva loved him? That she knew she loved him because Ziva told her?" Tim sat up straight, surprised at the subject matter that was the cause of Jimmy's outburst.

"Yeah…" McGee answered hesitantly, not sure which part Jimmy was upset about and why he was upset in the first place. Was it because Ziva never told Tony that she loved him but told Abby? He himself had heard Abby repeat it several times but never really gave it much thought. It would seem that there was more to this than meets the eye.

"Tim, did you ever wonder when Ziva told Abby she loved Tony? I mean…" He stopped, his mouth a grim line. "I didn't. I never questioned her on it. It made Tony feel better, and he didn't ask her about it, so why should I; I mean, why would I question her?"

"Jimmy, get to the point! What has you so mad?" Tim interrupted Jimmy's wandering thoughts.

"I'm mad because I just found out how, and _when_ , Ziva told Abby that she loved Tony." Palmer's voice was low and bitter. McGee hunched into himself, feeling like something was going to explode any second. He suddenly had a very bad feeling that he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear.

 **Le siège de l'Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris-3:45 pm**

Ziva looked vaguely around the room, taking in the machines and equipment that seemed to be necessary for her well-being. She tentatively touched her head, still stunned to have been told about her brain surgery and the subsequent recovery she would be going through. Her memories were fogged, but they were there: she knew who she was, she knew about her life and she knew what had happened in the recent months. If any were missing, she was not aware of it now and so had no concern. Her only concerns and thoughts were of Tali, and Tony.

She closed her eyes as she recalled her last waking moments with Tony, unable to believe that he had once again found her. But the shocking and worrisome news to her was that he had Tali with him. Ziva brushed an errant tear aside, unwilling to allow her momentary weakness to cause a breakdown for all to see. All this time, she has been devastated that Tony wanted no part of their child but being the sensible one in the partnership she tried to see it from Tony's point of view and refused to find fault with his decision. She knew children made Tony extremely uncomfortable and struggled with the thought that her continued communications to him regarding the life of their daughter would not be appreciated. Her fears were confirmed by his silence in the matter. She accepted it as it was, and it made her even more determined to create a safe and stable home environment for Tali, if was to be just the two of them.

She had been so wrong. Wrong to think she and her baby could live blissfully in a world that constantly seemed to be at war with Ziva David. She had turned a blind eye to her previous life, willing herself to forget her sordid past and make a new, perfect future that she could be proud and happy of. In her zeal, she had made a grievous error in removing Eli David and Ari Haswari from her thoughts. They were both gone but the daughter and sister remained as a perfect target.

When Orli had notified her of this new attempt to obtain the records of Eli David, and it was known or assumed that Ziva either had them or knew where they were; she swore in anger at this unwelcome intrusion into her and Tali's lives. If she had been alone, she would have handled the situation, but she was not. Gazing at her innocent child, Ziva knew she had no choice but to make the difficult decision to bring Tali to the United States for her safety, and to her father should something happen to Ziva. She worried about showing up unannounced at Tony's doorstep with the baby but in her rush, she did not have the luxury of time to call him and discuss the situation.

She had seen his texts, so she at least knew that he, and NCIS, were aware of the pending situation. She thought it odd that he hadn't asked or expressed any concern about Tali even if his texts had seemed somewhat hysterical about her own whereabouts but accepted it as another indication of Tony's denial of his daughter.

Ziva frowned, remembering bits and pieces of being in her little Paris room with Tony before she collapsed. Tony having Tali with her had been a shock, but even more shocking was Tony's attitude about the whole thing. Despite his own misgivings about children, he seemed to have accepted Tali as his daughter, even if they didn't get much chance to discuss it.

" _ **Tali!" Ziva cried out in terror. Where was her baby, where was her Tali? Tony tried to grab her, to hold her still as she started flailing around in agitation.**_

" _ **Ziva, shhh…. I have her. Tali is fine. I have her. I have Tali." Tony whispered the words repeatedly, until Ziva finally calmed down enough to hear what he had to say. She burst into tears, clinging to him in desperation.**_

" _ **You have Tali? Orli took her to you? You…you know about Tali?" Tony looked grim.**_

" _ **Yes, Ziva. After we heard that you were dead, Orli brought Tali to me. I must tell you…Ziva? Are you ok?" Tony's tone changed to alarm when he saw Ziva clutch at her head.**_

Ziva sighed deeply and shifted slightly in the bed. Of' course, Tony wouldn't reject an innocent child, even if said child did not exactly fit into his lifestyle. And of' course he knew about her…he got her letters telling him all about her. He must have been bringing her back to Ziva…no, that's not right. He said he thought she was _dead_. None of this was making any sense, and she felt confused by her contradictory memories. She thought back again to that moment when she recalled Tali. She had been in Tony's arms, as if welcoming home a loved one gone far too long. No, not a loved one. A _lover_.

If memory served; Ziva had to smile wryly at the that since her memory had been the culprit these past weeks that had kept her from Tali; _if memory served_ , Tony had seemed quite happy to be with her again. She hadn't felt any antagonism or disappointment or whatever negative she could come up with to describe how she thought Tony DiNozzo would feel about her and Tali. Her perceptions of the past and the present were colliding with a future she couldn't even begin to contemplate.

Ziva moaned softly as her head started to ache, and reluctantly reached for the button on the pain medicine infusion pump. As she drifted off to sleep she made her plan: she would wait and see what Tony wanted with her and Tali and if it was as she feared, she would take her daughter back and allow Tony DiNozzo to go back to the life he wanted.

 **There you go. Now you didn't think everything would be easy as pie, did you? Not as long as the last chapter but I wanted to get something out after the long delay. Not too happy with this chapter either, not feeling it as I wrote this in chunks over the past two and a half weeks. Thanks again for the great support and reviews. Hope some of you got the ST-TNG references.**


	18. Chapter 18

**I find I must apologize yet again for the serious delay. Thanks to those who have stayed in contact with me and offered support and assurances that they would wait until I had the time to write again. I very much appreciate it.**

 **I will say that out of curiosity I watched the last two episodes with Abby, mostly to see if Ziva was even mentioned or shown since it was stated we would be going down memory lane. I was not surprised at how boring the show was. I felt no empathy or interest for ANY of the characters, and that includes McGee. There was no spark, there was no…" special" …about the show. The lights of Tony and Ziva (and Michael and Cote) had shown through so clearly, the show is an empty gray shell without their presence. And the mention of Ziva? Only that she was one of many that had died. And the ending spoke volumes of the relationship, or lack thereof, between PP and MH. A sad statement. And a ridiculous and unbelievable ending from a medical standpoint, but I always get pissed by the miraculous recovery in two days that would take months for a normal person to recover from.**

 **To make up for my absence, this chapter is mostly Tony and Ziva, with a transition to another thread in the story at one point.**

 _ **Ziva sighed deeply and shifted slightly in the bed. Of' course, Tony wouldn't reject an innocent child, even if said child did not exactly fit into his lifestyle. And Of' course he knew about her…he got her letters telling him all about her. He must have been bringing her back to Ziva…no, that's not right. He said he thought she was dead. None of this was making any sense, and she felt confused by her contradictory memories. She thought back again to that moment when she recalled Tali. She had been in Tony's arms, as if welcoming home a loved one gone far too long. No, not a loved one. A lover.**_

 _ **If memory served; Ziva had to smile wryly at the that since her memory had been the culprit these past weeks that had kept her from Tali; if memory served, Tony had seemed quite happy to be with her again. She hadn't felt any antagonism or disappointment or whatever negative she could come up with to describe how she thought Tony DiNozzo would feel about her and Tali. Her perceptions of the past and the present were colliding with a future she couldn't even begin to contemplate.**_

 _ **Ziva moaned softly as her head started to ache, and reluctantly reached for the button on the pain medicine infusion pump. As she drifted off to sleep she made her plan: she would wait and see what Tony wanted with her and Tali and if it was as she feared, she would take her daughter back and allow Tony DiNozzo to go back to the life he wanted.**_

Disclaimer: It does not belong to me

Hiding In Plain Sight- Chapter Eighteen

 **Le siège de l'Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris-4:00 pm**

Tony rushed as quickly as he could without causing alarm to the ICU bed where Ziva lay, anxious that his time to visit was slipping away. Much to his surprise and relief, the nurses very graciously extended the visiting hours for him, which should have just ended, due to the delay in seeing Ziva. Tony was getting ready for a fight about it, but the nurses just smiled and beckoned him to come back, assuring him he could stay as long as he wished. He almost burst into tears, grateful for the gesture, and for their understanding that his delay in visiting Ziva was not of his doing.

Tony stopped and stood hesitantly at the threshold of the room, staring at the occupant in the large bed. His eyes did a quick sweep of the equipment still attached, only noting that there was only one IV bag hanging and attached to Ziva, as opposed to the three or four that had been there the last time he was here. He then turned his attention to Ziva, looking for any changes that indicated she was indeed on the road to recovery.

He was disappointed that she appeared to be sleeping; she had woken up and he wanted to see her sitting up in bed, eyes open and talking! He blamed the delay and whatever the medical staff had been doing to her for her current state of somnolence. Sighing heavily, he stepped into the room and made his way to the bed, looking down on Ziva and further scrutinizing her condition to see if there had been any improvement from the evening before.

He was pleased to see that the large head dressing had been replaced by a much smaller bandage at the site of the surgery. The swelling around her eyes was still present but Tony was sure it had lessened. The bruising was just as spectacular as it had been before, and he took out his phone to take a picture. He wasn't sure who he would show it to; certainly not Tali! But maybe one day they would look back and consider this the first hard step in starting over, in reclaiming the life they should have been sharing the past two years.

Tony shook his head and pulled over a small chair, sitting perched on the edge, uncomfortable in the surroundings he found himself in. He reached over and gently placed Ziva's hand in his and brought her fingers to his lips, grazing them softly; so reminiscent of that moment in the olive grove that seemed like a lifetime ago. Tony closed his eyes and bent his head low, resting his forehead on their conjoined hands, wishing that things had not transpired that way that they had.

Not for the first time, he railed at himself for not staying behind, when it became clear Ziva would not be coming home. Ziva was adamant and a force to be reckoned with, but Tony wasn't some milk toast. Why had he so meekly accepted her decision and walked away? "DAMN IT!" Tony cursed, louder than he had intended.

A soft moan in answer to his outburst came from the bed and brought him back to the present. He squeezed Ziva's hand and lovingly brushed back an errant curl, catching his breath at the touch of her cool, soft skin.

"Ziva, it's me. Tony; I'm right here. Everything's fine. You're going to be just fine." Tony rambled, hoping to get through to her semi-conscious brain. Ziva's eyelids fluttered, and she looked around, her eyes unfocused; her expression confused.

She finally saw Tony, sitting so quietly and grasping her hand tightly. She smiled tentatively, still under the influence of the morphine and not quite sure she wasn't actually hallucinating. Tony broke into a wide smile and stroked her hair again.

"Hi." He said softly, his voice husky with emotion and unshed tears. Ziva took a deep breath, and felt her own tear trace its way down her cheek. Reaching out hesitantly, Tony's finger lightly brushed it away, almost as if he were afraid she would break. A small part of him was also unsure how Ziva would react to such an intimate gesture. They had much to work out yet, and Tony was cognizant of that fact. "Everything's fine, Ziva. You're going to be ok. I'm here now. We're here, we're…" Tony couldn't continue as he wasn't sure what to say.

There was no plan as far as Ziva was concerned. She didn't know what he had been doing or what he had been going through, beyond those few moments of conversation before her collapse. The last thing he wanted to do was overwhelm her with information that could be left for another time. For as much as it was Tony's desire for things to start right now, he knew he would have to be patient and wait for Ziva to catch up to the present and to accept it.

"It is really you?" Tony was startled at how weak Ziva's voice sounded, so different from the commanding tone he had heard a few days prior.

"Didn't think you could get rid of me that easily, did you?" Tony tried to keep the conversation light, convinced now that she would not be able to handle any heavy conversation or decisions. But there was one thing he needed to say, and it needed to be said right now.

"I didn't get your letters, Ziva. I know maybe you aren't quite up to hearing this, to understand what I'm saying. But I need you to know that I didn't abandon you, or Tali. I didn't know; I didn't know you were pregnant; I didn't know you… _we_ had a daughter." Tony choked up on the last bit and hung his head, embarrassed by his lack of self-control.

Ziva's widened her eyes at his pronouncement, stunned by his words. He never knew? All this time, she had been convinced that Tony had wanted nothing to do with her and Tali, their beautiful child. She had kept writing to him, hoping to convince him to change his mind and embrace the love they had created. If only she had the courage to call him, to tell him in her own voice rather than her hand. Would that have made a difference? She vaguely remembered hearing him say to her that Orli brought Tali to him, after she was presumed dead. But she didn't realize he was saying that was how he found out about their daughter. _Oh_ …Ziva was horrified at how it must have been for Tony; for knowing Orli, she probably presented Tali to him in the middle of some meeting, as he would never meet with her on his own.

" _I am so sorry!"_ Ziva whispered, unable to find other words to express her emotions at the moment. Tony looked surprised and shook his head.

"No, Ziva; I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't make you come back with me…as if I could have done that." He smiled softly, chuckling ruefully; and Ziva acknowledged the truth of his statement. "I'm sorry I didn't stay. I'm sorry I didn't insist on keeping in touch, even if it was only me reaching out." Tony stopped there, knowing the lie of what he had just said, for in fact Ziva had reached out to him, multiple times and it was he who had remained mute, beyond those few cards that had been exchanged and miraculously delivered.

He looked into her eyes, willing her to understand. "I'm so sorry, Ziva. I thought I was doing the right thing to let you be…to let you do what you needed to do without me constantly badgering you. It was the greatest mistake of my life." He hid his face in his hands, overcome by emotions that were threatening to spill. He needed to keep his composure; Ziva was in no shape for an emotional confrontation and he berated himself for his lack of control.

He felt the light touch of her fingers on his forearm and looked at her. Tony brought his hands down and felt her fingers curling around his, squeezing them softly in reassurance. 

"We both did what we felt we had to do. There is no right, there is no wrong. The important thing is what is now. That is all I care about. About Tali." Ziva squeezed Tony's hand again and tried to process what she had just heard. She didn't want to make any assumptions, or hear things because it was something she wanted, _no needed_ , to hear. But if she believed what she just listened to, it sounded like Tony was not upset about Tali; that he would have not have ignored her letters had he received them. The idea of Anthony DiNozzo, Jr. not going off the deep-end upon hearing he was going to be a father was unfathomable to her, but his presence here, and the fact that he was caring for Tali, spoke of a truth that she had never considered. Still, she needed to know; she needed to know that what the father of her child was saying was not just lip-service. After all, he didn't have too much choice once Tali was brought to him, although he could have refused the child but Ziva could not imagine that ever happening. Even if he was angry, Tony couldn't have turned his own child away. But if he had a choice: to be in her life or not be in her life and his decision was not the critical one that he had been presented with? That was an answer Ziva needed.

Ziva shifted uncomfortably in the bed and attempted to sit up. Tony jumped to his feet, trying to assist her with the pillows to give her more support. He watched her anxiously, making sure she wasn't over exerting herself. He didn't want any set-backs and was about to suggest they end the conversation for the moment when Ziva spoke.

"Tony." Ziva looked directly at him, her gaze steady and with resolve to accept whatever his answer would be. "Tony, I need to know, I need to know the truth. If you had received my letters when I mailed them; if you had found out in December that I was pregnant, what would you have done? Can you even think what your reaction would have been, how you would have responded?" She looked anxious and Tony felt like the weight of the world that had been on his shoulders had suddenly slid away. This he could answer, because he already had.

Tony took Ziva's hand in his and gazed back at her with all the love he had. "Ziva, I'm going to tell you exactly what I told Orli when she brought Tali to me. I couldn't believe you didn't tell me you were pregnant or that you had given birth to Tali; I was very upset that you didn't tell me, in fact. But I told her, with no hesitation, that if I had known you were pregnant, I would have been there in a second."

Ziva blinked at him, stunned by his sure and steady words. There had been no hesitation, no obliqueness in his response. She felt herself relax into the pillows, but then was struck by an incongruity that needed to be explained.

"Wait, if you never received my letters, how do you know about them? How do you know what I wrote?" The hurt in Ziva's face broke Tony's heart, for he knew she was thinking he wasn't being honest with her. He stood up and paced about the room for a moment, to regain his composure and decide how much he could tell her.

The last think he wanted was for her to become angry, and the moment she heard her letters had been held she most certainly would, of that he was certain. He needed to tread lightly here, but still make sure she understood that he was being completely honest and transparent.

He looked at her, concern etched on his brow. "Ziva, I'm not going to give you all the details right now. When you are out of the hospital and healed, I promise you we will sit down and have a very honest conversation about the past two years." He paused and took a deep breath, knowing what he was about to say would probably anger her.

He sat back down, and took her hand, stroking it softly for his own benefit as for hers. "I came to Israel to look for answers; answers about you, about what happened.; answers about Tali." He began. "I went to the farm house…" Tony choked up and couldn't continue for a few moments. He shook his head to regain his composure, not wanting to get off-track. "Anyway, we stopped at this little market to get something to drink. I decided to send some postcards back home, you know, to McGee and Palmer; anyway, when I went to mail them, the owner recognized my name on the postcards and gave me the letters." He could see the confusion on Ziva's face, and he had to agree it didn't seem to make much sense to him either.

"All of your letters, the ones you had written, were placed in a box. They were never mailed, Ziva. I only got them…" Tony cocked his head as he did the internal math. "About six days ago? I read them as soon as I got back to where we were staying. I read every one." Tony was shocked that so much had happened in a mere six days, but no more shocked than Ziva was at his words.

Her eyes were large, and Tony could see the tears welling up. Her face was one of sorrow and disappointment, but Tony knew those feelings were not directed at him. Ziva understood exactly what had happened as soon as Tony had said they had never been mailed. She understood that she had never been out from under the scrutiny of Mossad but to have such a blatant intrusion in her life was a crushing blow. She looked away, trying to see out of the small window that only showed the coming evening.

They sat in silence for several minutes as Ziva fought to control her emotions; their hands still linked. For Ziva, Tony's hand was a tether to the only reality she wanted. She didn't want her old life, a life controlled by Mossad. She didn't want her life at NCIS either, but for very different reasons. She had never felt controlled there, beyond having to follow the rules and she would be the first to admit that was more of a challenge for her to follow than for others. NCIS was one of the few, shining moments of her life in which she could honestly say that she was proud of, for the most part. It had brought her and Tony together and for that reason alone, NCIS would always have a special place in her heart. But there was also another part of her life at NCIS that she could not be proud of, and for that she could never go back; to NCIS or to any other such organization. She had been honest with Tony, and to herself, when she had decided to let go of the badge. All she wanted was to be a normal person; if that was even possible. To have a normal life, to see her daughter grow up and become the woman she wanted to be rather than the person others dictated she be. Ziva turned to Tony and squeezed his hand.

"I want to see Tali."

In as much as he struggled with how to tell Ziva about the letters, Tony felt no such hesitation in answering this expected request. He took a deep breath and gave her his answer.

"No."

 **NCIS- Quadrangle**

"Tim, did you ever wonder when Ziva told Abby she loved Tony? I mean…" Palmer stopped, his mouth a grim line. "I didn't. I never questioned her on it. It made Tony feel better, and he didn't ask her about it, so why should I; I mean, why would I question her?"

"Jimmy, get to the point! What has you so mad?" Tim interrupted Jimmy's wandering thoughts.

"I'm mad because I just found out how, and _when_ , Ziva told Abby that she loved Tony." Palmer's voice was low and bitter. McGee hunched into himself, feeling like something was going to explode any second. He suddenly had a very bad feeling that he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear.

"Ok," McGee began hesitantly, not sure he really wanted to know. "When did this all happen? And calm down ok?" Jimmy took a deep breath and looked at Tim sheepishly.

"I'm sorry Tim. I am so angry right now, but I need to have a clear head. I want to make sure this is not swept under the rug." He turned to McGee, and then glanced around to see if anyone was listening. "Ziva called Abby in January." Tim looked surprised.

"This past January?" Tim asked for clarification. Jimmy groaned and ran his hand through his hair.

"No, the January after Tony came back without her. Three months after they had parted ways." Jimmy paused at the significance of the time frame and McGee's eyebrow shot up in agreement. "She called to asked if Tony had received her letter." At this Palmer got up and started to pace. "Abby just told me what happened; I'm not sure why except she expected me to thank her or something for keeping Ziva away from Tony."

"Wait! Abby said she kept Ziva away from Tony? She actually said that to you?" McGee was honestly surprised that Abby would own up to any such thing and wanted to make sure Palmer didn't misunderstand what she had said.

"Tim, Abby gave a very lurid account to me of how she was Tony's true friend and did all these things to protect him, including telling Ziva to never contact him again when she called. She told me… _she told me, Tim_ …that she thought Ziva was lying about being pregnant! Don't you see, Tim? Abby knew all along! Abby knew Ziva wanted to tell Tony about the baby. And here she has been calling Ziva a bitch for not saying anything to Tony. Well you know what? Abby's the bitch!"

McGee sat stunned at what Palmer had revealed to him. It made so much more sense for Ziva to have tried to contact Tony. And he did know about the letters so her follow-up call to Abby rang true. He jumped up and looked back toward the building, as if he could see Abby in her lab. Palmer grabbed his arm.

"What should we do; what are _you_ going to do?" Palmer naturally expected McGee to take the lead on this; if anything was to be done about it. Tim was also the only person who could share this disturbing news with Tony. Tony knew about the letters; but he didn't know about Abby's role in the whole affair. Tim shuddered, not wanting to be the bearer of this news, but understanding that it could only come from him. Tim turned to Jimmy, his eyes hard. "Let's go see Abby."

 **Le siège de l'Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris-5:00 pm**

Ziva blinked her eyes in astonishment, her expression almost comical but this was no laughing matter. Tony braced himself for her response, but his resolve was complete.

" _NO?"_ Ziva almost hissed, giving as much disbelief and anger in her tone that she could muster in her weakened state. "What do you mean no? How dare you keep my child from me!" Tony flinched at her words. He knew she would be angry, and he could only hope she would understand his reasoning for not allowing Tali to come visit.

"OK, calm down Ziva. I am not keeping _our_ child away from you. What I _am_ doing is not allowing her to come to the hospital and see you lying here all bandaged, battered and bruised from your surgery. I won't do that to her; I won't traumatize _my_ daughter in that way." Tony felt somewhat guilty in his heavy-handedness, but he wanted to make it perfectly clear to Ziva that it was now the three of them, not just her and Tali.

Ziva opened her mouth, but then stopped. She looked at Tony hesitantly and slightly concerned. "Battered and bruised?" Her voice was barely a squeak. Tony almost smiled, but her appearance was not amusing.

"I guess you haven't looked it a mirror lately, huh?" Tony took out his phone and opened up his photos, flicking until he found the one he had taken less than an hour earlier. "Here, brace yourself." Ziva looked startled and hesitantly took the phone from his hand. She gasped when she saw herself and sank back into her pillow, stunned by her post-op appearance.

Tony nodded. "If it helps, I think you are the most beautiful sight in the world." Ziva's lips curled up in a small smile at that.

"I do not believe you." She murmured softly. "I look hideous. I understand now. Tali would have nightmares for years if she saw me like this." Her understanding did not cover her disappointment at not seeing her daughter, but she now accepted Tony's reluctance to bring Tali to her. Tony took the phone from her hand and flicked through some more photos.

"Here." He said softly. "It's not the real thing but maybe it will make you feel better." Tony handed her the phone and leaned next to her to view the photos he had taken of their daughter.

Ziva lovingly touched the photo of a grinning Tali, her eyes wide as her father kissed her cheek. She glanced at Tony for permission to browse and at his nod she flicked to the next photo. Tears sprang to her eyes at Tali now kissing a beaming and proud Tony. This one photo convinced Ziva beyond all words that Tony loved their daughter and was thrilled to be in her life. She regained her composure and flicked through several more photos, mostly of Tali playing or being silly. The one with spaghetti all over her face and hair made Ziva gasp and chuckle.

"Yes, she is definitely your daughter, Tony." Ziva joked.

"Ha-ha." Tony joked back, taking the jibe in good humor. "She is definitely _Italian_." Ziva looked askance at him, biting her tongue because their daughter did share both of their heritages.

Ziva became quiet as she found some pictures of Tali with McGee and Palmer. She hadn't considered that the rest of the team knew about Tali but of 'course they did. They would have been Tony's support system as he struggled being not only a new father, but a single father. "Oh…" she said softly. Tony looked over and grinned at the photo of Senior holding Tali on his lap, reading her a story.

"You have no idea how thrilled my Dad was when Tali showed up. On second thought, maybe you do." Tony quipped, remembering the astonishment and then joy his father had exhibited when Tony brought Tali home and introduced her to him.

"He wasn't angry at me?" Ziva asked, worried about how she had probably been perceived by the others. After all, Tony said he had just found out about her letters so from the beginning it looked as though Ziva had hid Tali from Tony. An indefensible and inexcusable action as far as she was concerned.

Tony tried to remember if Senior had expressed any anger toward Ziva for not telling Tony about her, but all he remembered was how happy he was to finally be a grandfather. Tony shrugged. "If he had a problem with it, he didn't say anything. Don't worry about that stuff, ok? It's all in the past, and if anyone had a problem with it other than me, we know what really happened now." Ziva felt bad again by Tony's admission that he had been upset with her, but he was right. There was nothing she could do about the past and the best course was to move forward.

Ziva sucked in her breath and drew her lips in a thin line as she viewed a photo of Abby pulling Tali's hair up into little pigtails. Tony caught her change of expression and demeanor and looked at the picture that had caused the change. Ziva's reaction reminded Tony of her letter, and he was convinced more than ever that he needed to get the truth of what happened. "I know about Abby." Tony began, trying to diffuse the situation and table it for another time. Ziva had been through too much today.

Ziva looked at him in shock. "You do? You know what she said to me?" Ziva found it hard to believe that Abby would have said anything to Tony about their phone call once Tali showed up, but then it was Abby they were talking about and if Ziva had learned anything about the woman during their time together it was that she would never truly understand her.

Tony frowned and shook his head. "No, I haven't spoken to her yet, but I will. I've had more important things to do, like finding you alive. And you have more important things to think about right now, like getting better and coming home." He gently took the phone from her hands. "We'll handle Abby later. Right now, I want you to relax and get some rest. You've had a big day and I don't want any setbacks." He kissed her forehead, feeling he had earned that right. Ziva sighed, agreeing with his assessment. It had been a day of revelations and she needed to decompress and adjust her view of her world; a world that was no longer just her and Tali. A world she was very happy to explore.

"Yes, I suppose it is time for Tali to have dinner and get ready for bed." She said wistfully, missing being the mother of her child. Tony squeezed her hand, understanding how she was feeling.

"Yeah, but she's with Dad right now so I can sit with you until you fall asleep. If that's ok, that is." Suddenly Tony felt unsure about his place in Ziva's life. He had assumed she would take it for granted that they were now a family, rather than two parents and a child but they hadn't really discussed their relationship. " _One step at a time, DiNozzo!"_ he subconsciously chastised himself.

"I would like that." Ziva said softly, causing Tony to relax. He nodded and pulled his chair closer, smoothing out and adjusting her covers.

"Are you tucking me in?" Ziva chuckled at his fussing over her but he just shrugged.

"I've been waiting two years to take care of you. If I can do it now, nothing would make me happier." They gazed into each other's eyes, the moment solemn yet monumental.

"Tony, I…" Ziva began hesitantly. Tony placed his finger on her lips and shook his head.

"Don't. Not yet. We need to get you out of the hospital and healed before we can have any serious discussions about the future. We will have this conversation; we _need_ to have this conversation. But we don't need to have it this very second." Tony paused and took a deep breath. He hadn't expected Ziva to make the first move, as it were. He had actually anticipated having to plead his case that the three of them should now be a family, and that Ziva would need to accept Tony in her life. Of' course, he didn't know what she was about to say but he hoped he hadn't just made a major tactical error in judgement by shutting the inevitable conversation down for the moment. He sat gently on the edge of the bed, so he could look directly into her eyes, knowing this was a crucial moment.

"I'm. not. going. anywhere." Tony vowed, hoping he hadn't overplayed his hand and put pressure on Ziva when it was not intended. He meant he would be here to help her get back on her feet and be healthy again; but he also meant for the long term. Whether or not Ziva understood the difference right now was not important.

Tony would make sure she knew exactly how he felt and what he wanted for his little family when the right time came.

 **Well, I hope it lived up to everyone's expectations. I sincerely hope it will not be another two months before I update again, but I cannot make that promise. I can only promise that there will be another update. Best wishes and let me know what you think. It some ways, it seems silly that Tony found Ziva so quickly, but everything fell into place in this story to make it happen. I've tried to make this as realistic as I can while still moving things along. I hope you agree. Cheers!**


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